Established 1996. Winning today.
Witness portrayal. Critical analysis of the Federal Rules of Evidence and case law. Extemporaneous public speaking. Development of case theory. Evidentiary presentation. Teamwork. This. Is. Mock.
Dartmouth’s mock trial team pictured in 2013.
The Dartmouth Mock Trial Society was founded in 1996 and remains an organization of two student-led, highly competitive teams. Since winning the "Best New School Award" at the 1997 American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Competition, our program has attended Nationals four times (‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘24) and earned three All-American Attorney awards (‘06, ‘08, ‘24) and two All-American Witness awards (‘07, ‘08).
In 2022, and 2023, our two teams climbed an average 73 teams in the rankings. Both teams qualified for the Open Regional Championships (ORCS) in the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons.
A Historic Season
In 2024, Dartmouth Mock Trial qualified for the National Championship Tournament for the first time since 2008. Dartmouth took 7 out of 8 possible ballots at the Chestnut Hill Regionals, tying for third place and qualifying for the Open Round Championship Series (ORCS). Dartmouth then took 6 out of 8 ballots at Cincinnati ORCS, tying for second place and qualifying for nationals. At ORCs, Dartmouth tied the national finalists. Paige Pattison ‘24 was named an All-National Attorney, and Carlo Guerrini-Maraldi ‘26 and Uma Misha ‘26 were named All-National witnesses. Uma Misha ‘26 tied for the top ranked witness at the tournament. After ORCS, Dartmouth was ranked 30th in the nation. At Dartmouth Mock’s first Nationals in 16 years, Paige Pattison ‘24 was named an All-American Attorney.
A look into the history and grounding of our society.
Guided by these principles, mock trial is not just a competition, but an experience of growth.
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Law
Mock trial is a team competition that requires mastery of the Federal Rules of Evidence and analysis of case law. Applying these technical skills towards a fictitious case, we craft case theories, develop witness characters, and hone arguments—simulating, or mocking, a trial.
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People
The team is the core element that makes mock trial—specifically, Dartmouth Mock—so fun. Through hours-long practices, travelling to competitions, running examinations and arguments, and more, we become a family. That mindset manifests in and outside of the courtroom.
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Justice
We joke sometimes that mock trial is LARP-ing (live-action role playing). It is at its most basic. But ultimately, competing in mock trial is the expression of our dedication to better understanding the legal system and concepts like evidentiary standards and due process.
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Build relationships.
Benching with other MockStars and pairing with witnesses means diving deep into the case with people who share the same passion and drive.
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Self-Coach.
The Dartmouth Mock Trial Society has no coaches. We are student-led in every way. Leadership is both developed and necessary.
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Explore together.
Being successful in mock trial ensures that you will go places—literally. We have traveled to Chicago, Providence, Cincinnati, and more for competition.
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Scrimmage Peers.
When not in competition, one of the best ways to practice is friendly scrimmages with peer programs.
The witnesses balance drama, the attorneys balance argument, and the team breeds excellence.
Our witnesses pop—and win awards.
We receive expert instruction on stage presence from Theater Professor Jamie Horton.
Our attorneys are taught by the best—and also win awards.
We regularly practice with Bruce Fredrickson, winner of the largest employment discrimination award in the history of the Civil Rights Act.
“I hope people are noting Dartmouth. Clearly, they’re looking like they’re gonna be a strong contender. And you gotta think, I mean, Dartmouth is a good school. I expect they’ll probably be very competitive in years to come… it seems like they’re on the rise and to have two teams do that well makes me definitely have my eye on them moving forward.”
Drew Evans, The Mock Review with Ben and Drew podcast, April 21, 2022