Tryouts
Tryouts
Our tryouts will take place in September of 2026! Until our signups are posted, you can fill out our interest form. Email our Recruitment Directors, Chardon Black (cb4740@princeton.edu) and Hailey Swyter (hs4142@princeton.edu), with any questions, and follow us on Instagram (@princetonmocktrial) for updates!
Tryouts for Princeton Mock Trial are open to all students at Princeton University, regardless of class year, major, or prior experience. Whether you’re interested in law or acting, want to improve your public speaking, or are looking for a community of welcoming and supportive friends, we encourage you to try out for our program. Come find us at any of our events in the fall! The 2026-2027 tryouts schedule is as follows:
• PMT Virtual Open House: Sunday, 8/16, at 8:00 PM EST (we have a recording below if you were unable to make it!)
• Whig-Clio Political Activities Fair: Thursday, 9/3, in Whig Hall from 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
• Dillon Gym Activities Fair: Friday, 9/4, in Dillon Gym from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
• PMT Open House: Saturday, 9/5, in Whig Hall's Senate Chamber from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM. Come to watch a live demo, learn about tryouts, and ask questions about the process!
• PMT Social: Saturday, 9/5, from 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM, location TBD.
• PMT Coffee Chats: Tuesday, 9/8, and Wednesday, 9/9, in Campus Club from 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Order a drink on us!
• Tryouts Round 1: Friday, 9/11 - Sunday, 9/13 (link to signups will be posted soon! For now, fill out our interest form here!)
Mock Trial is a competitive activity that mimics real-life courtroom trials. Students rely on a mix of public speaking, debate, argumentation, and acting skills to compete against other collegiate teams across the country. Some competitors are attorneys, who make legal arguments, and some are witnesses, who portray characters to tell a story. Everyone on a team works together to argue their side as strongly and convincingly as they can! Whether you’re interested in law, theater, STEM, the liberal arts, or simply trying something new, Mock Trial has something for you.
Our program is one of the top teams in the country and we compete at high level tournaments. Just last year, we were ranked the top student-run team and fourth overall in the country, placed second in our Nationals division, traveled to 14 cities, and earned 68 awards! Other than our proven competitive success, we help our members develop their critical thinking, research, and time management skills that will serve them in any career. Our program also has an intensely strong sense of community. You’ll make friends through free retreats, socials, tournaments, and team traditions, and we’ll provide free travel, food, and merch! We also offer leadership opportunities and a network of current and past PMT members nearly three decades strong, and we do it all while having fun! Essentially, we are a family that wins.
Not at all! So many of our members joined without ever having done mock trial, debate, or public speaking before. We make sure that our tryouts process is accessible for people who aren't familiar with the activity of mock trial, and we're always happy to answer questions. Conversely, if you do have experience with mock trial, we're happy to have you try out as well! We welcome people of all experience levels.
Our members commit to spending 4-5 hours a week on mock trial, which includes practice time with your team and time spent on your individual work. Members also commit to attending tournaments on three weekends per semester, where you'll be gone from Friday evenings to Sunday evenings. All tournament travel, lodging, and food are fully paid for by PMT.
September of 2026! We will post more specific dates as school approaches. For now, enjoy your summer!
We will post the signup sheet here on our website, and we'll send it out over email to those who fill out the interest form, which can be found here.