The American Mock Trial Association suggests that the purpose of mock trial is to assist students in developing critical thinking and public speaking skills and to provide a knowledge of legal practices and procedures by engaging in trial simulations in competitions with teams from other institutions. At Rider, we believe that there is much more. We also believe that mock trial:
- helps students develop the ability to be an effective member of a team;
- provides students with the opportunity to engage in a highly competitive activity within a framework of high ethical standards and rules governing "professional responsibility";
- provides students the opportunity to participate in an activity that values creativity and imagination;
- provides students interested in acting with opportunities to develop characters (witnesses) and improve both scene work (direct examination) and improvisational skills (cross examination);
- provides a diverse environment for social bonding and team building and the opportunity to meet and engage with students from other colleges and universities, large and small, from all over the country.
We invite you to read the interview of team captain Amanda Steele conducted by the Juris Education team regarding the benefits of mock trial: