USD Mock Trial competes in Memphis
The USD Mock Trial team made it to the final round in the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) competition in Memphis, Tennessee this weekend, concluding their spring competitive season.
At the ORCS competition, the team competed against the University of California-Berkeley and Rhodes College. The USD team qualified for ORCS out of their regional competition in Topeka, Kansas earlier this year.
The USD Mock Trial team consists of 10 members, the maximum amount of participants allowed on a team.
Gabby Metzger, a co-captain and attorney on the Mock Trial team and a senior political science, English and German triple major, said they’ve done so well this season because of their bond as a team.
“The most important thing that we have been doing is coming together as a group of friends, as opposed to just a group of people who are working together,” Metzger said. “A lot of people can discount the necessity of getting along with the people you’re with on a competitive team, but it’s really important.”
Natalie Gronlund, an attorney on the team and the president of Mock Trial organization, is a senior studying business administration and criminal justice. She credits the team’s success this season to individuals’ hard work.
“Each person excels in different things, and each person has something that they’re very good at,” Gronlund said. “Some of them can play multiple witnesses… we have people who can engage the judges with them, because of how they can speak and how they can draw people in… we have attorneys that can enunciate and very clearly explain rules of evidence and case materials.”
Gronlund said each team member’s role and talents are important for the team to succeed.
“There’s a wide variety of things that go into play and that are doing successful things for the team,” Gronlund said.
Jessica Allen, a senior political science, psychology and sociology triple major and an attorney and co-captain for the Mock Trial team, said the successful season is especially important to her as a senior.
“There’s a sense of pride to it,” Allen said. “I know in the past couple of years, it’s kind of been rough, and we haven’t been doing as well, so just ending with a success makes it worth it. Dedicating four years to it makes you just proud to be part of the organization.”
Metzger said knowing it was her final year helped push her to do her best to qualify for the ORCS competition.
“I was very nervous going into the regional tournament because this is my last year to qualify out of the regional tournament, so while I tried to be not stressed about that experience, it was higher stakes,” Metzger said. “Luckily, we qualified, and I can rest content on my (Mock Trial) career.”
To prepare for their competitions, the Mock Trial team practices for three hours twice a week, in addition to individual preparations and meetings outside of practice.
Allen said joining the Mock Trial team can help prepare students for their careers.
“If someone’s ever interested in law school or something in the political/criminal justice world, though it’s a lot of work, Mock Trial really helps you to develop those speaking skills,” Allen said. “I really encourage anyone who is interested in that (to join).”
