Written by Nick Roark

When students are considering a career field, they must have the opportunity to experience that career during their undergraduate studies. Sometimes this happens in a hands-on classroom experience, an internship, or an immersive learning course. Students in Ball State’s Legal Studies program can compete in the Mock Trial competition, where they participate in a simulated court case, taking on different roles in the trial in a competition against one another.

This fall, political science student Brynn Hensley won the Outstanding Attorney Award at the 7th Annual Mock Hundred Invitational. She got the first place individual award, competing against over 100 other students. The legal studies major got one point off a perfect score in this invitational, meaning she was considered the best attorney in every round of the competition except for one.

“It’s about confidence, projecting, owning the room, and believing you’re the best attorney,” Hensley said.

The Mock Trial Association is a competitive academic organization where students from different institutions research the same case, prepare the witnesses, and ultimately take roles in mock trial competitions against other schools. This year the mock trial case was a fictional scenario for a civil case, complete with unique rules of evidence for students to learn. Real attorneys and law school students act as judges for the case.

Hensley is majoring in legal studies, and the Mock Trial competition allows her to gain courtroom experience. After graduation, Hensley wants to go to law school and pursue a career as a trial attorney, which is an attorney who represents defendants in court.

“For someone who wants to be a trial attorney, it’s a perfect organization,” Hensley said, “Even if you don’t want to be an attorney, Mock Trial improves public speaking skills and teamwork since collaboration between attorneys and witnesses is so important.”

Hensley’s strategy was to not call on some of the available witnesses since the defense would have been allowed to cross-examine them and expose evidence that could have cost Hensley the case. She made frequent use of objections, and responses to the opposing side’s objections, which the scoring judges took notice of.

Hensley started as a theater major freshman year, but felt like she “wanted something more.” Reflecting on her experience doing mock trials in high school business law classes, she decided to switch to criminal justice and join the Mock Trial Association. She learned about the legal studies major through Mock Trial and decided to make the change and keep a criminology minor.

“If you go to Ball State and you want to be an attorney why wouldn’t you join Mock Trial?” Hensley said.

Interested in becoming involved? Reach out to Professor Johanna Maple or the Mock Trial Association to learn more.