Revised December 6th, 2023.

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the University of Chicago Mock Trial Team, hereinafter: Mock Trial Team.

Article II – Purpose

The purpose of the Mock Trial Team shall be to engage in intercollegiate competition in AMTA, the American Mock Trial Association. This entails organizing teams of six to ten people and preparing a prosecution (or plaintiff) and defense for the AMTA case of the competitive season. The Mock Trial Team will compete in the regional competition of AMTA, which gives the opportunity at national competition as well as invitational competitions. The Mock Trial Team seeks, through competition, to educate about the legal system, encourage legal awareness, and encourage communication between undergraduates and law students.

Article III – Membership

Section 1: Definition of Voting Membership

Voting membership is limited to currently registered University of Chicago students who meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. The member was on the official roster of a team that competed at a regional tournament.
2. The member was on the official roster of a team that competed during an Autumn Quarterinvitational and corresponded during a Winter Quarter foreign study program.
3. The Officer Board may, at its sole discretion, confer voting membership on anyone who does not meet the criteria listed in Article III, Section 1, subsections A and B, provided that the conferee in question has a legitimate excuse for not having fulfilled the criteria of said subsections A and B (for example, physical illness during Winter Quarter).

Section 2: Competing Membership and General Membership

Competing members must comply with AMTA and University standards, but other students are eligible to be voting general members.

Section 3: The Privilege of Competing Membership

Competing membership is a privilege awarded by the officer board as a result of tryouts and interviews. This privilege carries with it the responsibility to attend meetings regularly, to meet deadlines, and to participate in a constructive, helpful manner. The privilege of competing membership may be revoked if a member has exhibited behavior not in accord with the rules or spirit of the Mock Trial Team as perceived by the majority of the officer board. Removal must occur at a meeting of the officer board to which the member subject to the removal process is invited and permitted to speak. Removal will occur if the majority of the officer board votes it necessary.

Section 4: Composition of Competing Teams

The Mock Trial Team shall be composed of as many competing teams as the officer board determines feasible with the input of the team, as well as of general members present for the purpose of assistance to the competing team or for the purpose of benefiting from Mock Trial Team membership. Competing teams will be set by the officer board and are flexible to suit the needs of the team as a whole.

Article IV – Team Captains

Section 1: Team Captain Qualifications

To be a Team Captain, a member must be a competitive member of the team on which they hold the position of Captain.

Section 2: Term of Captainship

Barring gross misconduct, Team Captains will serve from their selection through the end of the competitive season.

Section 3: Captain Selection

Team Captains shall be selected by the officer board.

Section 4: Duties of Team Captains

The duties of Team Captains shall include but not be limited to presiding over meetings of their competitive teams, representing their competitive teams at captains’ meetings, representing their competitive teams on the officer board, and managing administrative and behavioral matters at competitions.

Section 5: Vacancies

An absence in the office of Team Captain shall be filled by the officer board.

Article V – Officers

Section 1: Composition of the Officer Board

The Mock Trial Team Officer Board shall consist of a President, a Vice President of Travel, a Vice President of Finance, a Vice President of Administration, and an Assistant Vice President of Travel.

Section 2: Officer Qualifications

To be qualified to be an officer of the University of Chicago Mock Trial Team, a member must be eligible to vote on the Mock Trial Team and be a currently enrolled student at the University of Chicago. To be qualified to be Assistant Vice President of Travel, a member must also be a first or second year in the College at the time of election.

Section 3: Terms of Office

a. The President and three Vice Presidents and the Assistant Vice President shall be elected to

office during Spring Quarter of the academic year and serve until elections the next year.

b. If a President or Vice President or Assistant Vice President leaves office or is removed, the absence in their office shall be filled for the remainder of their term. The absence shall be filled by majority election by the members of the Mock Trial Team. The remaining officers shall administer the election as necessary.

Section 4: Duties of Office

1. Officers meetings will be called at the discretion of the Officer Board.
2. It will be the duty of the officer board to select competitive team membership, based on tryouts and interviews. This selection will be by consensus of the members of the Officer Board at the time of team selection, these being the President and three vice presidents. The Assistant Vice President of Travel shall have a voice in discussions, but no vote. New members must attend fall tryouts based on the previous year’s case. Returning members shall fulfill any testing requirements that the officer board deems necessary. These may include, but are not limited to, interviews, filling out form letters, and providing statements on intent to retain membership. Returning members desiring new types of roles may tryout.
3. The duties of the President shall include but not be limited to presiding over meetings, communicating with the American Mock Trial Association, and representing the Mock Trial Team at all necessary Center for Leadership and Involvement (CLI) meetings.
4. The duties of the Vice President of Travel shall include but not be limited to scheduling travel to tournaments, interacting with the Vice President of Finance concerning financial matters, and making arrangements for traveling, including but not limited to regional and national AMTA tournaments.
5. The duties of the Vice President of Finance shall include but not be limited to drafting and submitting Mock Trial Team Budgets, participating in the process of acquiring funding, representing Mock Trial at necessary Student Government and Coalition of Academic Teams finance meetings, and approving and processing all team financial excursions.
6. The duties of the Vice President of Administration shall include but not be limited to running meetings in the absence of the president, directing recruitment of competitors and coaches, coordinating with coaches, scheduling meetings, and filling unforeseen and unenumerated officer duties.
7. The duties of the Assistant Vice President of Travel shall include but not be limited to coordinating with the Vice President of Travel and, under the direction of the Vice President of Travel, assisting in planning the team’s travel in whatever way the Vice President of Travel deems necessary. This does not absolve the Vice President of Travel from ultimate responsibility for planning travel for the team.

Section 5: Removal of Officers

In order to remove an officer from the office that member holds, a vote of 2/3 of the competitive membership of the team is required. Before this vote, a week for the deliberation will be taken after the announcement of the intent to hold impeachment proceedings. Any member of the Mock Trial Team can choose to hold an impeachment. This deliberation will consist of deciding whether or not impeachable grounds are present. Impeachable grounds include negligence of duties, serious inappropriate behavior, and failure to consider team interest.

Article VI – Coaches

Section 1: Selection of Coaches

The officer board shall have the prerogative to determine team coaches for each competitive season. The board can opt to retain the coaches from the previous year or seek out new coaches. This determination will be done on an individual basis.

Section 2: Duties of Coaches

The duties of coaches are limited to aiding and advising competitive teams and individual Mock Trial Program members during and outside of practices, as well as providing information regarding competitive member performance requested by the officer board. Coaches are not required to attend all meetings, but more weight may be given to the input of coaches who have attended more meetings.

Article VII – Elections

Section 1: Scheduling of Elections

Elections of the President, the Vice President of Finance, the Vice President of Administration, the Vice President of Travel, and the Assistant Vice President of Travel shall occur spring quarter after the end of the competitive season and before seventh week.

Section 2: Voting Eligibility

Voting members are all eligible to vote in elections. If there is a conflict concerning voting eligibility, the dispute will be resolved by a list of members kept by the President in consensus with the officer board.

Section 3: Proxy Participation

Proxy nominations and votes will be accepted if and only if the officer board is notified of the member’s intention to vote by proxy one week before scheduled elections. Deadlines for submission of proxy nominations and votes can be set at the discretion of the Officer Board.

Article VIII – Handling of Funds

All funds collected must be deposited in the Mock Trial Team CLI Blueprint Account. The Vice President of Finance shall be the primary officer designated to handle Mock Trial Finances.

Article IX – Amendments

Section 1: Amendment Process

A quorum of more than one half of eligible voters must be present to amend the constitution. Of those present, a vote of more than two thirds is required for the passage of an amendment. Amendments may be tabled for a vote at a later meeting.

Section 2: Advance Notice

Proposed amendments must be announced one week prior to the vote on their inclusion in this document.

Section 3: Timing of Proposals

Any voting member may propose an amendment for consideration at the time of the regular officer election as set forth in Article V, Section 3. A member of the officer board may propose an amendment at any time during the regular academic year, excluding the Summer quarter, pursuant to the other Sections of this Article.

Article X – Miscellaneous

Section 1: Attire (The Laura Sjoberg Memorial Rule)
Appropriate Western Business attire must be worn to all competitions and dress run-throughs, with the exception of witnesses with prior permission excuse. Persistent inappropriate attire will be grounds for revoking of competition privileges.

Section 2: Official Mascot

The mascot of the University of Chicago Mock Trial Team is a creature named “Richard.” “Richard” has body of a beautiful penguin, and the head of the graduating program fourth-year who best exemplifies the ideals of mock trial mentorship. A representation of “Richard” should be kept by the Vice President of Administration and the members of the social couch in digital form, so that it may be used on official documents if necessary

Section 3: School Compliance

Membership statements: Membership shall be open to all UChicago students and must comply with the University of Chicago’s non-discrimination statement.

RSO Funds: All funds will be deposited into our university account.

Anti-Hazing Statement: Our organization will abide by the University’s Hazing Policy.

Article XI – Tournament Director

Section 1: Tournament Director Qualifications

To be qualified to be the Tournament Director of the University of Chicago Mock Trial Team, a member must be eligible to vote on UChicago mock trial matters and must be a currently enrolled student at the University of Chicago.

Section 2: Terms of Office

1. The Tournament Director shall be elected to office (along with the Officer Board) during Spring Quarter of the academic year and serve until elections the next year.
2. If the Tournament Director leaves office or is removed, the absence in their office shall be filled for the remainder of their term by appointment (via the Officer Board).
3. Election of the Tournament Director will occur after the election of the Officer Board. Anyone who has already been elected to the Officer Board for the coming season will not be eligible to be Tournament Director.

Section 3: Duties of Office

a. It will be the duty of the Tournament Director to ensure the successful planning and execution of

a UChicago-run tournament. The Tournament Director will have the authority to represent the UChicago Mock Trial program when he or she contacts other programs about tournament related matters. The Director will work with the President and Vice President of Finance to appropriately fund the tournament.

b.To assist him or her in planning and running the tournament, the Director may create a tournament committee. Such a committee would be composed of members of the mock trial team selected at the discretion of the Director and would include the program President.

Section 4: Relationship between the Tournament Director and Officer Board

The Officer Board will report any information it considers relevant to tournament planning to the Tournament Director in a timely fashion. The Tournament Director will keep the board informed of major changes in the status of the tournament and request any information he or she considers necessary for tournament planning. The Tournament Director will not be part of the Officer Board and will therefore not have a role in stacking.