Ohio Mock Trial is the largest non-athletic competition in the state of Ohio. But given its origin, it’s not surprising. Mock Trial is the brainchild of the Ohio State Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation, and Ohio Attorney General Anthony Celebrezze. They believed students needed to learn about civics and their constitutional rights and felt there was a gap that needed filled. Ohio Mock Trial was formed in 1983 to help fill that gap, and The Supreme Court of Ohio joined as a program sponsor a few years later.
In 1989, they created Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) and over the years several more law-related educational programs such as Moot Court, We the People, Youth for Justice, Project Citizen, and a Middle School Mock Trial were added. These programs cater to elementary, junior high and high school students allowing all grades to receive a civics education.
Ohio’s robust Mock Trial program involves more than 3,500 students yearly from across the state. Participants come from all backgrounds, not just those interested in pursuing law. That is part of what makes the program so impactful.
“Mock Trial is significant because of the skills you learn and use,” said Steve Dauterman, Immediate Past President of OCLRE. “Being able to analyze a situation, have the poise to speak in front of adults, question and cross-examine witnesses, and think on your feet, those are life skills.”
Dauterman’s presidency with Mock Trial was during the tumultuous Covid years. “When I became president in 2021, our first focus was how do we maintain our programs? We operate on grants from the Supreme Court, Attorney General, ACLU, and OSBA. How do we remain true to our sponsors?” asked Dauterman.
The answer was to continue with Mock Trial but hold it virtually. In 2020 and 2021 the rounds were all held virtually. In 2021 they thought they’d have the finals in person, but one of the final teams was exposed to Covid and it was held virtually.
They resumed in-person for the 2022 season. He spent the remaining two years of his four-year term re-engaging the students, volunteers, and community with Mock Trial. Dauterman told me, “I feel like the OCLRE is finally back to where we were pre-pandemic.” But recruiting volunteers remains the biggest issue.
Mock Trial is dependent upon hundreds of volunteers. Each level of competition: district, regional, and state, requires several dozen volunteers to serve as judges, and others that support teams as legal advisors.
Eligibility to volunteer is simple, have a law degree. But every year, filling those roles is difficult. “One of the disappointing things I’ve seen is that at state competition, sometimes we only have two judges on a panel,” Dauterman explained. “At that level, it’s not appropriate or fair to the students. It’s so much better to have three judges. Students deserve that.”
Volunteering can take different forms. Judges preside over or score a trial round, a commitment that take a few hours. Legal advisors work with a team for several months leading up to competition, coaching students through case materials and trial skills. Either way, volunteers leave a lasting impression.
Steve Simon, a longtime Cincinnati attorney, served as a legal advisor for Reading Community City Schools for more than a decade in the early 2000s. Each week for several months, he met with students to review opening and closing statements, sharpen cross-examinations, and provide feedback.
“Reading was inspirational because it was a working and middle-class school. They competed with large private schools and won,” Simon said. The program created opportunities for students who may not have explored a career in law. One of his students became the first in her family to attend college and went on to become a lawyer.
Simon noted the position isn’t limited to litigators. “Any lawyer can be a legal advisor,” he explained. “Litigators may have an easier time, but with the right coach and motivated students, any attorney can help.” While it was a time commitment, Simon describes it as one of the most rewarding experiences of his career. “It was always a great group of kids.”
One of Simon’s former students, Ben Sandlin, is now a Visiting Assistant Professor at Miami University and a member of OCLRE’s Case Committee. Sandlin’s legal aspirations started at Reading High School after her took on the role of a lawyer for a fake Supreme Court case for history class. “The history teacher was the Mock Trial coach,” recalled Sandlin. “I was actually a science kid, but after that experience, my teacher encouraged me to join the Mock Trial team.”
He competed for three years, then continued Mock Trial at Miami University while pursuing his chemistry degree. By his sophomore year, he knew he wanted to go to law school. He also knew he wanted a career that would allow him to coach a team.
Sandlin began coaching while still in college, working with Talawanda High School. After graduation, he transitioned to coaching at the collegiate level. Since 2016, he has coached Miami University’s Mock Trial program and now helps write the cases that high school students argue each year.
There are many benefits being involved in Mock Trial according to Sandlin. “Participating in a mock trial is an extremely beneficial jump ahead to litigating and going to court,” he said. “It teaches you how to think quickly, something you can’t learn from a book. And as a coach, modeling cross-examinations or teaching objections keeps me sharp. It’s not a drain, it’s refreshing.”
Stories like Simon’s and Sandlin’s show the impact of Mock Trial. For students, the program builds confidence, helps develop critical thinking, and enhances communication skills. While some alumni of the program go onto law school, but even those who don’t learn lessons and skills they use in their careers.
Dauterman has seen the influence firsthand. “I was at an Ohio State football game when a young man recognized me,” he recalled. “He came up and said, ‘You were our mock trial judge. You were our favorite judge.’ I’ve had others come up to me on the street. It’s made an impact on them, that is very clear.”
For volunteers, the rewards are just as meaningful. Judges and advisors witness students grow in skill and confidence over the course of a few months. They also play a direct role in developing the next generation of potential lawyers and leaders.
Despite its size and success, Mock Trial’s biggest ongoing challenge is finding enough volunteers. “You don’t have to be a litigator to be a judge or an advisor,” Dauterman emphasized. “Paralegals, law students, anyone with legal training can help. Every shift makes a difference.”
Sandlin agrees. “The number one thing I hear is, ‘I don’t have the time,’” he said. “But it’s worth the time if you have it.”
For attorneys and legal professionals, volunteering with Mock Trial is a great way to give back. The program provides an educational experience and is a community service. It connects students, teachers, attorneys, and judges in civic education.
Mock Trial is more than just a competition. It’s a place where students learn real-life skills, gain a better understanding of how our legal system works, and connect with people in the legal community. But the program depends on volunteers to keep it going.
Whether you can give a few hours to judge a trial or a few months to advise a team, your time and expertise make a difference. “Watching students stand in a courtroom, argue cases, and grow in confidence, it makes the time worth it.”
To learn how to become a volunteer, please email ebarnes@cincybar.org. To learn more about this year’s Mock Trial case, turn to page 16.
Erica Monttinen is the Communication and Membership Specialist at the CBA.