Our Interview With Aum Dhruv, President Of Princeton Mock Trial

Aum Dhruv is the President of Princeton Mock Trial.

What inspired you to pursue leadership within this organization at your school? ‍

I was really inspired by the leaders that came before me. When I was a freshman, the leadership were incredibly supportive and a large part of why I consider PMT a second family. I wanted to be like that for future members and keep the momentum going by running for office and striving to offer more resources. ‍

What skills can aspiring law students gain from joining an organization like yours?‍

Mock Trial is a competitive activity that mimics real-life courtroom trials. Students gain a mix of public speaking, debate, argumentation, and acting skills and get the chance to compete against other collegiate teams across the country. Competitors can take on the role of attorneys, who make legal arguments, and/or 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.

Princeton Mock Trial is one of the highest ranked teams in the country. We compete at top-level tournaments, and just last year we placed 2nd at Nationals in our division. Beyond our proven competitive success, we help our members develop their critical thinking, research, and time management skills, and our program has an intensely strong sense of community. We also offer leadership opportunities and a robust network of current and past PMT members, and we do it all while having fun! Essentially, we are a family that wins.

What advice would you give law students on making the most out of their experience in a mock trial organization?‍

First and foremost, try out! And don’t be afraid to try out if you have no experience (a lot of competitors don’t). Once you’re on the team, learn as much as you can and expose yourself to new things! Try different witness types, try to attorney, try a statement, etc. Get to know your teammates, get to know other schools, get to know the awesome judges who volunteer their time! And have fun!

We're proud to interview student leaders like Aum Dhruv to help future lawyers understand the benefits of extracurricular involvement.