By William Fry
Texas Tech University mock trial team. Photo by Mackenzie Mayes.
Mock Trial Coach Lily Johnson has competed in the courtroom since 7th grade. The reason for her dedication is unexpected.
“I kind of like to think about it as a cult,” 20-year-old Johnson said with a straight face.
As a branch of Texas Tech’s Future Lawyers of Today, mock trial is an organization for undergraduate students to apply to, per FLT bylaws. Mock trial is an annual event in which competitors simulate a fictional court trial in front of judges, according to the American Mock Trial Association.
Every year, the mock trial A and B teams compete through the American Mock Trial Association in the spring against other college teams, per the official website.
“Our A-team did the best in program history. I’m very proud of them,” Johnson, a senior history major from Las Vegas, Nevada, said. “Our B-team did very well. They went up against nearly the exact same teams our A-team went against.”
Future Lawyers of Today Treasurer Lillian Welch, a senior accounting major from Granbury, Texas, said both teams collectively defeated the Rhodes University B-team, a “cornerstone of the mock trial world” that frequently advances to nationals.
Welch said the team was 0.5 “ballots,” or points away, from advancing to the next round.
PR Manager Mackenzie Mayes, a senior English major from Godley, Texas, is the longest competing member on the team. She said this was the team’s best year in program history.
“I’m really excited because I think our best foot forward still lies ahead of us. I think we’ve really made a name for ourselves,” Mayes said. “And I think the next generation after us is only going to do better.”
Johnson said the program could achieve greater success with external funding and university recognition.
She said the mock trial team does not receive funding from Tech’s Student Government Association. She said she hopes next year’s team will apply and be able to secure funds.
“I hope our future coaches find a way to get Texas Tech to recognize them and to give them money,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, money solves a lot of problems.”
Johnson said she believes the mock trial team would benefit from having a nonstudent coach.
“It would be instrumental to our success and our future to have someone who not only has connections but also the experience in mock trial and law,” Johnson said.
Despite being self-funded, Treasurer Welch said the organization still raises enough money from fundraisers and sponsors to compete.
The team’s cohesion is a big reason why the mock trial team has been successful at competitions, Mayes said.
“Weirdly enough, it’s kind of like when you play sports in high school. Yeah, you hate the sprinting, and sometimes you hate the practices, but you remember those moments with your team,” Mayes said.
Mayes, Welch and Johnson all said they have found their best friends in college thanks to mock trial.
“Lillian is one of my best friends and will potentially be a bridesmaid at my wedding,” Johnson said.
Johnson said mock trial is at its best when every member feels like they are competing as one big friend group. “That’s why I call it a cult because you get sucked in, and you don’t want to leave,” Johnson said with a smile. “Because you love it so much.”
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