For the first time in its more than 150-year history, Smith College has a mock trial club. The student-led organization was founded this year by first year co-Presidents Abby Zhu ‘29 and Sophie Scialla ‘29 and Social Chair Audrey Buehler ‘29.
The trio started the club due to a noticeable gap in campus offerings. “I remember when I first came to Smith, and I didn’t see anything about a mock trial, so I was very upset,” said Buehler.
In the past, Smith students have competed on the UMass mock trial team. Motivated to change that, they began holding initial interest meetings earlier this semester. Since then, the team has grown to around 15 members and has been preparing for its first scrimmage. To accommodate the group’s size, members are divided into three groups consisting of two prosecution teams and one defense team, each with attorneys and witnesses. This team layout means that there will be two scrimmages.
Preparing for a Mock Trial involves several key components. “There’s three main parts: direct examination, [which is] more open-ended questions; crosses, which are more closed-ended and trying to trap a witness; and then statements,” said Scialla. Mock trial members have worked on these materials in and outside of the club’s weekly Tuesday and Sunday meetings, both individually and as a group.
“It’s difficult to start something from the ground up,” Zhu said, “but it’s been worth it.” The board members, each with different levels of experience in mock trial, expressed what makes it special to each of them.
“I like cross examination… it’s the most unpredictable part of the trial,” said Zhu. Scialla’s favorite part is the process of experimenting with different characters. “You can try on different characters, as an attorney and a witness,” she said. “Coming up with my life story outside of the materials we were given is really exciting.”
Buehler echoed this point, “I love developing a lawyer persona, because there’s not just one way to go about it.” Each member can decide exactly how they want to present and carry themselves and their character, experimenting with accents, personalities and demeanors.
“Mock trial is so much fun,” Scialla emphasized. “I feel like people don’t realize that and they should know,”
Buehler mentioned the excitement of “role-playing as lawyers,” while developing skills like public-speaking, debating and acting.
“When I was in high school, I would be arguing with my mom about something and she’d say ‘don’t go all mock trial on me,’ but I was genuinely not trying to,” Buehler said. “Those are just the skills I’ve learned.”
Zhu, Scialla and Buehler hope to continue growing the Smith College Mock Trial in the future.
“I would like for people with any interest to just give it a try, because I really do think they can fall in love with it,” Scialla said. They plan to split the club into separate recreational and competitive teams to make room for all levels of experience and interest.
“Mock trial is for everyone. You don’t have to be interested in law school or government or political science. It’s something that anyone can get into,” Scialla concluded.
Mock Trial hosts its scrimmages and practices in Julia McWilliams Child ’34 Campus Center on Tuesdays and Sundays, and welcomes new members.
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