UNC Charlotte's Mock Trial Club has served as a home for students who have a passion for the legal field, those who aim to be future lawyers, and those who just like to act. The Mock Trial club teaches students litigation, public speaking, analytics, and case-building skills through role-playing a case every year. The club travels around the country to litigate against other universities in the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA).
This year we are litigating Shannon Shahid v. Taylor Hopson. This is a civil dispute regarding the beneficiaries of an infamous resident in Midlands, Avery Bancroft. A train ride through the Australian outback ends with tragedy as Bancroft is found dead in his cabin one morning. Taylor Hopson, one of Avery's children, is a primary suspect. Slated to receive 95% of Bancroft's millions, and recent disputes over this money lead to many suspecting they may have had a role in his death.
Our goal has always been to make it to the American Mock Trial Association's National Competition. Universities that make it to the national level create some of the finest lawyers due to the skills students develop to make it that far in the yearly competition. Unfortunately, a big part of making it to national competitions is having the money to attend that and other competitions to prepare us for regionals. Most nationally competing universities have large amounts of funding in their programs that skew the playing field against newer teams.
Donate today to help our club enhance public speaking, critical thinking skills, and further our legal careers, as we compete against top-notch mock trial clubs from around the country.
With a budget of $2,000, we will be able to attend competitions throughout the year allowing us to get the most amount of practice before our regional competition.
Coming off of last year’s biggest mock trial club, the team has grown even more. With students in all different majors from Political Science to Criminal Justice to Biology to Business Analytics and beyond, the club is a place for everyone. Our students are a part of numerous other clubs on campus such as SGA, Pre-Law Society, and even give weekly tours of the campus. We have the motivation to compete against any university and give it our best, we just need YOUR help with funding. With your donations, we are confident that we will be able to be victorious against any university we face in our mock trials!
You can double or triple the impact of your gift if your employer participates in a matching gift program. To see if your employer has a matching gift program, click here. If your company matches, complete your matching gift form and submit it to UNC Charlotte via mail (UNC Charlotte Foundation, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223), fax (704-687-7259) or email (mwinslow@uncc.edu).
The "easiest" burden of proof in the legal system. Involves specific and articulable facts. A donation of $25 will help cover gas for 5 students to a local competition.
The second "easiest" burden of proof in the legal system. Involves facts and circumstances that lead an ordinary person to believe one way or another. A donation of $49 will help feed 4 students at an away competition.
The middle burden of proof in the legal system. "More likely than not." A donation of $100 will cover a significant portion of admission fees for one team at a competition.
The second most difficult burden of proof. Requires a firm belief or conviction that one is guilty. A $149 donation will help cover gas for multiple of our teams to travel to competitions.
The most difficult burden of proof in the legal system. The current burden of proof in the case we are litigating this year. Requires elimination of every reasonable doubt. A donation of $250 will help cover lodging for 5+ students at an away competition.