We have four evenly-split Fall teams, each of which will compete in two fall invitationals. At the end of the Fall season, competing members are then “stacked” into four competition teams (A, B, C, & D) for the Spring semester.

Full-organization meetings will take place from 5-6:30 PM on Wednesdays starting September 13th and continuing until mid-April of 2025. Once teams have been assigned, team captains will determine what time works best for their individual team. Each team usually meets at least once a week collectively, but everyone is encouraged to work on their own and with their witness/attorney outside of practice. During our second semester, the full-org meeting will take place during the mock trial class (PSC 396), and teams will meet at their own discretion in preparation for the upcoming levels of competition.

Mockers are expected to commit about four hours a week to mock trial in the Fall (1.5 hours for the full org meeting, 1.5 hours for team meeting, and about an hour of individual work or one-on-one meetings with attorney/witness partner); however, this often varies from week to week and from team to team. Time commitment will get steeper in the weeks leading up to tournaments. In the Spring, time commitment varies much more from team to team with A-Team having many more meetings and a much heavier workload than D-Team. If you are someone who is busier in the Spring, you will have the opportunity to request a lower team in order to account for your busy schedule!

Yes, you can! Though we practice all year, students can choose to enroll in the UH 262 in the Fall (an introductory mock trial class held outside of the full-organization meetings which will help you prepare for your tryouts and fall tournaments) and/or PSC 396 in the Spring semester (a class held during our full-org meeting that focuses on the skills needed for spring competition and future law practice). Upon completion, you will receive a letter grade and credit hours.

Nope! You can be a part of the program without taking either class. However, because our Spring practices are held during the PSC 396 time, we require members to keep that class time open anyways (so get those credits if you want to!).

Witnesses are the actors of mock trial. Like real-life witnesses, mock witnesses will be the subjects of direct and cross-examinations. Witnesses will develop their character and work with an attorney on their team to script and memorize a direct examination. Witness characters vary from scientific experts to crying widowers to Australian cowboys and British yoga enthusiasts. Witnesses will also prepare to be cross-examined by an attorney on an opposing team while maintaining their character. Being a witness involves acting skills, charisma, quick thinking, and adaptability to judges and opposing attorneys.

While we do not hold spring tryouts, we encourage those interested in mock trial to participate in our Crimson Combat! This is a wonderful workshop/competition opportunity to give those interested in mock a chance to try it out and prepare for fall tryouts.

Yes! Transfer students are more than welcome to try out in the Fall. Please let us know on your tryout form about any prior experience in other programs!

This year (Fall 2024), there will a total of 36 people accepted into the org, comprised of 32 competing members and 4 non-competing paralegals. This number includes both returning and new mockers and is the total of both attorneys and witnesses that will be accepted.

This year, tryouts will be held August 26-28th, as well as September 2nd-9th. To get registered for a time slot, please attend one of our interest meetings! They are August 22nd and August 30th, from 5:00 to 6:30, in Ten Hoor Hall, Room 116.

Try out as both! Before your tryout, you will fill out a preference form. Here, you can indicate which part you would like if you make the team as both a witness and attorney. Trying out for both roles will allow you to still be a part of our competing team if you only meet our tryout cutoff as one of the roles. It can’t hurt to give yourself as many chances as possible to make the team! When it comes to your preferences, taking a look at the “What is an attorney?” and “What is a witness?” questions higher on this page should help you decide. However, there is very little pressure on this decision. Remember, the part you play this year is not one that you are locked into in the following years. Many mockers change roles from year to year!

Fall double threats are new to UAMTA this year. Returning UAMTA members will have the chance to try out as both an attorney and witness, and play both parts in the fall season. Those who place in the top 7 scores for both witness and attorney tryouts are eligible to be selected as fall double threats—members who play an attorney on one side of the case and a witness on the other. This is a great opportunity for those who want to diversify their mock skills. For more information about fall double threats, click here.

Start by visiting our “join” page . This is where you can find all of your materials and a full explanation of what is required in your tryout. Next, pick an info session that works for you, and come visit us! You’ll learn all about mock trial and how best to prepare for your tryout (even if you have no mock trial experience). You’ll be able to work with current mock members on your content and learn more about mock trial. In addition to the resources on our “join” page, our UAMTA Tik Tok (@ua.mock.trial) and Instagram (@uamocktrial) also have plenty of tutorials and tips (Tik Tok is in progress). Then, it’s all about practice. As you practice, remember we want your unique performance style! We want to see a clean performance, but we also love to see your personality shine through.

Info sessions will be held August 22nd and August 30th in Ten Hoor Hall Room 116. Our help sessions will be August 23rd-25th and September 6-7th. They will be held from 12:00-6:00 in the Cahaba River Room in Rodgers Library!

Absolutely! If you are friends with someone previously on the team, please feel free to work with them on your tryout material. Otherwise, contact our email, uacjmta@gmail.com, and they will set you up with a current mock-er to practice with!

Business professional! We’re talking suits and ties, dresses and blazers, dress shoes and heels—the whole 9-yards. This will help you feel more confident and give the scoring panel the chance to picture you in a real round. If you need help obtaining these items, head over to Crimson Closet where you can rent them for your tryout!