A competitive force.
Duke Mock Trial is a program of competitive individuals with a common passion for trial advocacy — and among the most successful collegiate programs in the country.
The record speaks for itself.
Qualified for Nationals 28 times in 33 years — 2012 National Champions, two top-five teams in 2021, and an honorable mention at the 2026 National Championship.
More than a competition.
Mock trial is part courtroom, part chess match, part theater — here is how it works at Duke.
What is mock trial?
Students argue a full fictional court case — as attorneys and as witnesses — from a record of statements, exhibits, and legal precedent released each year by the American Mock Trial Association.
How it worksWhat is Duke Mock Trial?
A student-run program founded in 1993. We field three teams of seven to nine students each fall and spring, practicing two to three times a week in the trial room at Duke Law School.
About the programHow do tournaments work?
Teams try four trials a weekend — twice prosecuting or for the plaintiff, twice on defense — at invitationals and playoffs that have taken us to Nashville, New York, D.C., and Los Angeles.
See the season
“Among the most successful collegiate programs in the country.”
What you'll build.
The skills that win trials are the skills that open doors long after the verdict.
Public speaking
Command a room and think on your feet under cross-examination.
Critical thinking
Weigh evidence, spot the weak link, and build the argument that wins.
Persuasion
Tell a clear, compelling story to a panel of judges.
Case mastery
Learn a hundred-page record cold and use every detail.
Teamwork
Win as a unit of attorneys and witnesses who trust each other.
Composure
Stay sharp when the other side throws something you didn't expect.
Quick instinct
Object, adapt, and recover in real time.
Advocacy
Carry skills that translate straight to law school and beyond.
A team, not just a roster.
Beyond the trophies, Duke Mock Trial is a community — team dinners, parties, intramurals, road trips, and an alumni network that shows up for current members long after graduation.
You join as a competitor and leave with friendships, mentors, and a network of over 150 alumni in law, business, education, and medicine.
In their words.
What members and alumni take away from the program.
It pushes you, then it has your back.
“I came in terrified of public speaking. Two seasons later I was delivering a closing argument at Nationals — and the whole team was in the gallery cheering.”
The friendships outlast the season.
“The road trips and team dinners are half the reason I stayed. These are the people I call first, about everything, years later.”
It opened the door to law.
“Everything I do as a litigator — building a theory of the case, reading a room — I learned first in the trial room at Duke Law.”
Questions, answered.
The things prospective members ask us most.
No. Many of our strongest competitors had never done mock trial before Duke. We teach the rules, the strategy, and the craft from the ground up.
Still have questions?
Learn how to joinJoin us if you want to win.
Tryouts open every September to first- and second-years — no experience required. Come find out why we keep ending up at Nationals.
