After reviving a Mock Trial team in 2023, Wittenberg is pleased to announce the program鈥檚 expansion to include a competitive moot court team. Members of this new team represent the University by competing against other schools in a simulated Supreme Court argument.
鈥淚t was one of my stated goals when I was hired here three years ago to expand mock trial to include moot court,鈥� said Chris Leapley, mock trial coach, pre-law advisor, and instructor in Wittenberg鈥檚 Department of Political Science. 鈥淲hile the two activities are similar in that they each simulate phases of the American legal system, they are wholly distinct from one another and require a completely different set of skills. I was active in moot court in law school and wanted to bring those experiences here. But I also knew that starting the two programs simultaneously would not have been beneficial, as realistically, they are both recruiting from the same small group of students.鈥�
Very few universities the size of Wittenberg can field both a mock trial and moot court team, so for Leapley it was about finding the right time and ultimately the right set of interested students. He looked to his captains on the mock trial team and proposed a soft launch for moot court.
鈥淲e are lucky this year to have a mock trial team, which, while still small, is loaded with experienced members,鈥� he said. 鈥淭wo of these members, who also happen to be the captains, indicated to me they would be willing to give moot court a try, and so we decided to run with it.鈥�
Both programs require a fair amount of preparation during the fall semester, so the soft launch also served as a litmus test to determine if Wittenberg can find a training program to prep both teams without jeopardizing the students' other obligations. While a typical mock trial team consists of 10-to-12 students, moot court only requires teams of two.
Emma Gearhart, class of 2026 from Ashland, Ohio, and a sociology major pursuing minors in justice, law, and public policy and business, and Andon Peacock, class of 2026 from New Richmond, Ohio, and a political science major, stepped up to the plate for the moot court team and competed in the regional round of the national tournament on Nov. 21-22, 2025, in Wooster, Ohio.
Thirty-two teams competed for eight spots in the national championship rounds, with Wittenberg facing Saginaw Valley State (which qualified for nationals) and Loyola Chicago (which won the regional), as well as the College of Wooster. Wittenberg鈥檚 duo lost in close matches to Saginaw Valley and Loyola and defeated Wooster.
鈥淥verall, the students and I are very pleased with how things went,鈥� Leapley said, adding that the American Moot Court Association (AMCA) oversees moot court at the undergraduate level and puts together a hypothetical constitutional dispute each year. While the simulated case is fictional, it generally draws on current events for inspiration. This year's case concerned two distinct legal issues: one, the constitutionality under the equal protection clause of a college admissions program that gives preferential treatment to applicants based on gender, and two, the right of a university employee to speak out against the program without being disciplined as dictated by the freedom of speech. Students investigate real life legal precedent in the form of prior court decisions to formulate arguments both for and against the positions. They then engage in simulated Supreme Court arguments against other universities, with rounds lasting approximately an hour.
鈥淲e are going to continue promoting moot court next year alongside mock trial,鈥� Leapley said, encouraging 鈥渁ny student on campus who is interested in debate, public speaking, or the law to consider joining. It is definitely not just for students wanting to go to law school. We are also, of course, continuing to look for members for the mock trial team next year. Any interested students should reach out to me.鈥�
Wittenberg鈥檚 Mock Trial team was revived under the direction of Leapley, a local attorney, in partnership with the Department of Political Science and the Office of the Provost. The former Mock Trial Team 鈥� the Mock Trial Association Team 鈥� was student-run and student-funded and regularly competed against much larger schools. The team placed in the top 10 in regional competitions three times from 2003 to 2005 under the direction of inaugural coach Johnny Pryor, Wittenberg class of 1999, former assistant prosecutor for Clark County, and Wittenberg鈥檚 2025 Alumnus of the Year, and the Lowell Stockstill, professor of management, the team鈥檚 first faculty adviser. Pryor, along with Arthur Kraatz, Wittenberg class of 2007, who currently practices law in Louisiana, established the first Mock Trial program at Wittenberg. In its second year of participation in the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA), the 2005 Wittenberg Mock Trial team received honorable mention in the National Mock Trial tournament.
Leapley, who participated in mock trial in college and in law school, has been practicing law for nearly 15 years and currently has a nationwide practice as a litigation management attorney for Tokio Marine Insurance Holdings. He also remains active in mock trial outside of coaching Wittenberg鈥檚 teams, including serving as a volunteer coach and judge for regional and national competitions.
To learn more, contact Leapley at leapleyc@wittenberg.edu.
