Pre-Law
University of Dayton Mock Trial Team
JOIN
University of Dayton Mock Trial prides itself on strong work ethic and unwavering enthusiasm. With 15 competitors, ranging from first-year students to seniors, Dayton Mock Trial strives for success in and out of the courtroom.
Mock Trial is a competition in which undergraduate students present a jury trial before practicing attorneys and judges. Mock Trial requires not only superior presentation skills, but also a dedicated work ethic and a hungry competitive edge. Schools from across the country compete directly against you and your team. Can you think on your feet? Can you impress the judges with your advocacy skills? Can you act convincingly? If so, this is the place for you.
BELIEVE
Dayton Mock Trial is one of the strongest up and coming national programs. In 2019, Dayton earned one of only 48 bids to the National Championship Tournament in Philadelphia. When COVID-19 required students to compete virtually during the 2020-21 season, Dayton rose to the challenge and still fielded two teams. Dayton A achieved a perfect 8-0 record at the virtual Regional tournament in Spring 2021. Our team members win individual outstanding attorney and/or witness awards at virtually every tournament in which they participate. Our teams hope to build on this tradition of success in the 2021-22 season.
ACHIEVE
Dayton Mock Trial attracts students from many different academic disciplines and studies. Our competitors not only succeed in the mock courtroom, but also in the classroom. Previous competitors are now, or have recently been, enrolled in law schools such as Yale, Loyola, Chicago-Kent and the University of Cincinnati (to name just a handful). Multiple years of mock trial participation is also the third leading indicator of law school admission success behind LSAT score and GPA. The law not for you? The skills you learn from Mock Trial (e.g., critical thinking, public speaking, thinking on your feet, etc.) are relevant in virtually any field, as other graduates have pursued careers in medicine, business and many other areas. Dayton Mock Trial will give you the techniques to not only sway judges and juries, but become a successful communicator in any field you choose to pursue.
- Auditions are held every year the last week of August or the first week of September, depending on how the calendar falls.
- Audition scripts can be obtained at UD’s annual UP THE ORGS at the Mock Trial table the first Friday of fall classes or by emailing lhume1@udayton.edu.
- A MANDATORY information meeting the Monday evening of the second week of classes is the next step.
- Auditions will be the following Wednesday. WE DO NOT CUT ANYONE. You audition to see what role you get on which team.
Mock Trial Team Coaches
Jade has coached Dayton Mock Trial since 2015. In 2019, she assumed the role of head coach and has made it her mission to grow a (volunteer) coaching staff of talented practitioners, law students and alumni. In her coaching capacity, Jade devotes the bulk of her time to the A team. Jade started competing in mock trial in high school and continued through college (Miami University, B.A., 2006) and law school (University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 2009). Jade practices civil litigation, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio.
Callum practiced business litigation in the Dayton Office of Faruki+ for three and a half years after his graduation from Michigan State Law, and is now a clerk for Judge Thomas Rose, a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Callum cultivates talent by leading our B team, where most new competitors first learn the fundamentals of trial practice, the rules of evidence, and how to simplify complex issues for presentation to a jury.
Dr. Laura Hume became involved in Mock Trial when she became Director of the UD Pre-Law Program in 2010, and thus, the de facto educator coach for mock trial. Different directors have taken different approaches.
"My job could have been entirely administrative, simply paying the bills and giving the grades, but I wanted to work with then attorney coach, Jon Marshall, because I thought mock trial looked exciting. Boy, was I right!"
She started out working on character development with the witnesses. Since that 2010-11 season, the program has grown from one team to two, and one attorney coach to five, so her role has evolved. While she still works with and travels sometimes with the team, she focuses primarily on team logistics, recruitment, promoting our teams to the administration and to the community and acting as Director and host of one of AMTA’s Regional Tournaments every February.
Currently, Raika is employed as a Litigation Associate at Faruki+ in their Cincinnati and Dayton offices. She joined the Dayton coaching staff in 2019 and cannot imagine spending her spare time doing anything else.
Coach profile is forthcoming.
Coach profile is forthcoming.