SDSU Mock Trial not only prepared me for law school by teaching me crucial trial advocacy skills and the basics of criminal and civil law but also inspired me to pursue law school in the first place. - Cate Oveson
Before being accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in the spring of 2023, Cate Oveson first pursued her interests in the legal field with her involvement in the San Diego State University (SDSU) Mock Trial program. In an interview conducted by current SDSU Mock Trial Secretary, Joshua Radzinski, Cate Oveson shared her experiences in SDSU’s Mock Trial program, as well as the steps she took in order to be a successful candidate for the UCLA School of Law.
Cate first began her Mock Trial journey in 2020 as she entered her sophomore year at SDSU. The following year, she expanded her role, becoming the Vice President of Recruitment. And in her final year at SDSU in 2022, Cate was named President of Mock Trial. Beyond her heavy involvement in the program’s executive board, Cate was involved in all aspects of the trial. She has held attorney roles on both sides of the argument, gave both opening and closing remarks, and has even explored witness roles as an expert witness.
When asked how she was able to remain successful with all of these tasks, Cate first and foremost attended every single practice. By doing so, she was not only able to stay up to date with her progress, but also her teammates' ideas. Secondly, Cate knew that if she wanted to be fully prepared, she would have to devote time outside of the scheduled practice times to working with her team as well. This extra time enabled her to fully memorize her argument and understand the intricate case law and rules of evidence. Finally, Cate made sure to begin practicing her work in front of others as soon as the season began. By doing so, she was not only able to be fully prepared for each competition, but was also able to feel confident speaking in front of the judges. Cate noted one of the keys to success in mock trial is to “realize that you can always improve, and working with your teammates and coaches at every practice before and after scrimmages and competitions is essential to arriving at the best possible final product.”
Shifting to her duties as president, Cate highlighted both the successes and hardships she faced. Cate entered her presidency with a vision that required changing the bylaws in several ways, including the curriculum and audition format. Further, she noted the difficulty in keeping members motivated throughout the year, especially because they have other commitments in their lives. Despite these difficulties, Cate was successful in keeping a low number of team dropouts throughout the season. By maintaining regular social events and meeting times, friendships and social bonds were able to flourish. Cate saw it important to give credit where credit is due, as she wouldn’t have been able to do it without her wonderful coaching team and fellow executive board members. Together, they were able to foster an “environment that promotes learning, hard work, and fun simultaneously.”
Moving on to her most recent accomplishment of being accepted into UCLA School of Law, she gives thanks to her time in SDSU Mock Trial for teaching her critical advocacy skills and the basics surrounding criminal and civil law. Moreover, SDSU Mock Trial was able to connect Cate with real attorneys, judges, and other law students which allowed her to learn more about the legal profession. As she begins her law school journey, Cate is excited for the academic challenges posed by the first year of law school, and she hopes to continue her mock trial journey in her second year of law school.
As for the SDSU Mock Trial program, Cate hopes that it continues to thrive and promote itself to the broader campus community so that those interested in law, public speaking, and critical thinking are able to have the opportunities to expand on those interests. Cate also hopes that it continues to inspire people to pursue law school, just as it did for her. We thank Cate for agreeing to participate in this interview, and we wish her nothing but success as she furthers her legal education and career.