EVAN CARAVELLI/Arizona Daily Wildcat Political science junior and founder of the UA's mock trial club Jeremy Tor, right, interrogates political science and sociology junior Christopher Dang as other members act as a panel of judges. The club recently qualified to compete in the national tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Students wishing to go to law school or who love the adrenaline rush of a good debate can test their courtroom skills in a campus club.

Jeremy Tor founded the UA mock trial team three years ago, giving students the chance to experience the atmosphere of a courtroom.

The mock trial team's performance two weeks ago at the regional tournament in Utah qualified them for the national tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The team will compete Friday to Sunday against other universities across the country.

"We have done really well in past tournaments, and if we are one of the high ranking teams for this tournament we will advance to the Gold national tournament in Iowa this April," said Tor, a political science junior.

The members of mock trial are very passionate about the club, said Tor. They spend 10 to 15 hours a week practicing for upcoming tournaments, which requires a lot of memorization for the participants, said Tor.

"This is the hardest thing I've had to do, but also the most fun," said Mike Harnden, a computer science junior and member of the team.

The team's overall strategy for the competition is being prepared for unexpected objections during trial.

"On-the-fly responses is where the real challenge lies," said Tor. "The better prepared you are the better you'll respond to objections."

This year's civil case is about a golfer whose shoulder was shattered by a man who was released from a psychological institution eight days earlier. In this case, the golfer is suing the hospital for premature release of the patient.

The mock trial club hosted an invitational in January where other universities came to campus to compete and hone their skills for the upcoming national event.

"Each trial takes about three hours to debate, and each portion of the trial is scored by two judges," Tor said. "Knowing the rules of the evidence is very important."

The layout of the tournament is very similar to a real trial. There is an opening and closing statement, three direct examinations and three cross examinations, Tor said.

"I do this because I'm interested in going to law school," said Brandon Nagy, a business and economics junior. "This is an aspect of litigation that you don't always get to see."

Michelle Mozdzen, a biochemical and molecular sophomore, said she joined the team for the argumentative aspect.

"I love to argue," Mozdzen said. "What better setting to do it in than a courtroom?"

The team attends many invitational tournaments all over the country throughout the school year. This year alone they have been to Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, California and Utah.

"This is not a cheap club," said Tor. "ASUA has been a big source of funding for this program."

It costs each member almost $1,000 a year to cover traveling costs, hotels and invitational fees, but the members think it's worth the cost.

"This is the only speech competition program at the UA," said Amber Golden, a communications sophomore. "It's fun and we get to travel."