Murder allegations, shady trade deals and superstar hockey players. No, it isn't the plot of the latest episode of Law and Order but the current fictional legal case of the Penn State University Mock Trial Association.
The organization, founded in 1995, is composed of undergraduate students interested in law who stage a fictitious trial based on a case formulated by a national committee.
The students are split into three teams of eight, which subsequently act out the case of alleged murder with students filling the roles of witnesses, and prosecution and defense attorneys.
Lawyers will call and cross-examine witnesses and present opening statements and closing arguments, much as they would in an actual trial.
Teams are awarded points based on their handling of the defense and prosecution. Two objective judges award the points and perform the functions of a judge in a courtroom situation.
The fictional case used for regional competition is State of Midlands v. Michael W. Harmon. It involves a star hockey player accused of murdering an opponent during an in-game altercation.
"The cases are formulated by a national committee, so they are balanced for prosecution and defense," said Tom Burke, team president.
Three teams from Penn State will compete this weekend at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in regional competition against 29 teams from 17 institutions including Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University and St. Vincent College.
Penn State has prepared for the competition by attending invitational tournaments and staging an internal round robin tournament.
"[It] gives all kinds of different perspectives," Mock Trial treasurer Dara Kurlancheek said.
Burke said the size of the Penn State Mock Trial Association is remarkable, since it has 125 members and has grown in the past two years. "I'm certain that our club is one of the largest in the country, if not the largest," he said.
Because of the Mock Trial Association's size, Penn State fields three teams at regional competition.
Penn State Mock Trial has achieved success in past years, placing in the National Championship Tournament in both 2002 and 2003. It has also placed in the top three for invitational tournaments at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University and St. Vincent College in the past two years, Burke said.
Mock Trial helps to provide positive preparation for students who are considering law degrees. Burke said it helps students ease the transition into law school. He also said the Mock Trial Association welcomes any students interested in law. Many different academic majors are represented in the organization.
"I believe the lack of a pre-law major at Penn State has boosted interest in the club," Burke said.
Mock Trial Vice President Justin Holmes said he enjoyed the camaraderie. "I was drawn to the club because I want to be a lawyer, but I've stayed because of friendships."
Nationally, the American Mock Trial Association is growing as well. It encompasses 267 member institutions from 39 states and Washington D.C., which field a total of 507 teams in regional competitions, National Tabulation Director Brad Bloch wrote in an e-mail message. "We have had 10 percent growth over the past years," Bloch said.
