History Majors Among Mock Trial Winners

four history majors who are members of mock trial standing arm in arm.
Mock Trial History Majors Chance Sturup, Noah Caldwell,
Ashlyn Cooper, and Jordan LaPorta

The History Department would like to congratulate history majors Jordan LaPorta, Noah Caldwell, Ashlyn Cooper, and Chance Sturup for their recent tournament win with the University of Alabama Mock Trial Association.

Jordan LaPorta, a senior history/political science double major and the president of the association, said he was “a little surprised” at their win. In the fall semester, lower- and upperclassmen are put on teams together to help new members learn the ropes. The team won first overall — winning the prized “big gavel trophy” which can be seen on the third floor of ten Hoor — as well as six individual awards for attorneys and witnesses. “We had to buy a new shelf because we won so many trophies this year,” said Noah Caldwell, a senior history/economics double major and captain of Team Paul. The group has three teams — Paul, Bear, and Bryant.

Ashlyn Cooper is a sophomore history/psychology double major who was new to the team this year. She said that her work as a history major has helped her contribute to the team, citing the extensive reading, writing, and critical thinking she does for classes. “You have to look for bias and solve those conflicts,” Cooper says. Chance Sturup, a senior history/economics double major, says that all of the argumentative papers history majors write are exactly “what we do in mock trial.”

Caldwell says that his love for history came before his interest in pursuing a legal profession, but Sturup says he decided on law school and later settled on a history degree as a strong undergraduate degree to prepare him for his end goal.

For students interested in pursuing a legal degree, Caldwell suggested finding other students interested in law school and joining the pre-law association on campus. “First,” LaPorta said, “make sure you’re in a major that involves a lot of reading and writing. That’s literally all you will do in law school.” It was taking the Mock Trial class and joining the team, Cooper says, that led her to decide on a law track. Sturup also speaks highly of the program, noting how collaborative and helpful the community is. The Mock Trial Association is hosting a tournament this weekend in ten Hoor and it is open to the public. For more information, visit the Mock Trial Team’s website or their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram profiles.

Congratulations Jordan, Noah, Ashlyn, Chance, and the UA Mock Trial Team!