The Kent State University mock trial team competed in the
Regional American Mock Trial Association Tournament at
the University of Pittsburgh Law School. The team won
some of the trials at the regional competition.

The Kent State University mock trial team competed in the Regional American Mock Trial Association Tournament held Feb. 13 and 14 at the University of Pittsburgh Law School. Although the Kent State team did not advance to the national competition, it won some of the trials at the regional competition.

The American Mock Trial Association was founded in 1985. Presently, the association hosts 25 regional tournaments, as well as a national tournament. More than 350 universities and colleges participate in tournaments during the year, providing an opportunity to compete for more than 5,300 undergraduate students.

For the past 15 years, the Kent State Department of Political Science and the College of the Arts and Sciences have worked together to send a team to the American Mock trial Association. During the competition, the teams must act out a court case. The case used in the competition is either a civil law case or a criminal case. The case used for the 2015 competition centered on the death of an 11-year-old girl who was shot and killed by her 11-year-old best friend.

Twenty-six teams from colleges and universities located in Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., participated in the Pittsburgh tournament. In the competition, the Kent State team members played the roles of defense and prosecution attorneys and witnesses.

Although the team did not advance to the national tournament this year, the coaches Peter Charles Kratcoski, Ph.D., professor emeritus and adjunct professor of sociology and justice studies at Kent State, and his son Peter Christopher Kratcoski, a Kent attorney and Kent State adjunct instructor in justice studies and political science, were proud of the team’s performance.

The Kent State students all received high scores on their performances and were praised by the judges assigned to preside over the trials. The mock trial judges generally have considerable knowledge of the law, since they are practicing attorneys or court judges during their regular work week. The fact that they volunteer their time for the entire weekend reflects the dedication the judges have to making the mock trial competition a rewarding learning experience for the students who participate. The judges presiding over the trials follow courtroom procedures as close to real life as possible. When the trials are completed, the judges discuss the performances of the teams and answer questions posed by members of the teams.

Pictured are (front row) Peter Kratcoski, coach of Kent
State's mock trial team, and team members Cassandra
Kerns, Joseph van’t Hooft and Mallory Hunyor. In
the back row are mock trial team members Brett Cook,
Benjamin Kindel, Nyaruach Chuoi and Kayla Fertig.

Joseph van't Hooft, accounting student and co-captain of the Kent State mock trial team, describes being on the team as involving a lot of hard work, preparation and dedication, but with the reward of providing a fun learning experience for students.

“Being on the Kent State University mock trial team has been an extremely rewarding experience,” van’t Hooft says. “It is a worthwhile experience that has helped me learn about the legal profession, meet new people and develop lifelong skills, such as critical reasoning, public speaking and thinking on my feet, which will help later in my academic and professional career. By participating in the program, you learn how to construct the various statements and examinations, and the proper procedural workings necessary to conduct a trial.”

Kayla Fertig, senior paralegal studies student and co-captain of the Kent State mock trial team, recommends the program to students who are considering law school.

“Being on the Kent State mock trial team is a great experience,” says Fertig, who participated in the program for the second time. “This year’s team was amazing. We improved so much from last year. The mock trial team really opens your eyes about the future because it shows you what it’s really like to be an attorney. It simulates a real trial and gives you a feel of what it would be like if you continued on this career path. Mock trial has shown me that I chose the right major here at Kent State, and it has prepared me for my future."

Kent State’s mock trial team is open to students in all majors. Those who have participated in the past have majored in business, economics, education, English, history, justice studies, paralegal studies, philosophy, political science, sociology and many other majors. During the fall semester, the coaches prepare the students for competition through classroom instruction and training sessions. In the spring semester, the students have practice competitions against other universities to prepare for the regional tournament. Currently, the students enroll in Political Science 40993: Workshop in Trial Practicum for the spring semester. However, Christopher Banks, Kent State professor and the pre-law advisor for the Department of Political Science, is working with his department and the College of Arts and Sciences to offer a two-course sequence. Students enrolled in a two-credit course offered during the fall semester would have an opportunity to learn about litigation and trial procedures, and those students who decide to participate in the mock trial competition would have the opportunity to enroll in a one-credit course offered during the spring semester. Participation in the mock trial competition would be a requirement for satisfactory completion of the one-credit course.

Kent State does not have a law school, but a number of Kent State students have a career goal of completing law school and becoming practicing attorneys. The Department of Political Science, through the Office of Continuing and Distant Education, will offer a LSAT Preparation course for students this summer. The course will be taught by both Kratcoskis on three consecutive Saturdays, beginning May 23 and ending June 6.

For more information about the mock trial competition, contact Peter Charles Kratcoski at pkratcos@kent.edu.