Who We Are
Oasis Mock Trial aims to bring the mock trial program to the legal desert in Illinois. We will provide lessons, coaches, and funding to schools from rural Illinois in order for them to start mock trial teams. In doing this, we hope to cultivate a tradition of mock trial and law in these communities and bridge the legal gap throughout our state.
The Challenge. Rural Illinois is currently facing a severe shortage of legal professionals. Many counties operate with fewer than ten attorneys, and some have none at all.
The Impact. That shortage compromises residents' access to essential legal services, including criminal defense, family law, debt resolution, and eviction protection, and leaves the right to a fair trial harder to exercise in these counties.
The Root Cause. Most legal talent is concentrated in the Chicago metropolitan area. Rising student debt often pressures young lawyers toward high-paying urban firms, leaving rural regions underserved and under-resourced.
What is a legal desert?
A small number of lawyers in a geographic area.
Supporting Documentation
Oasis, noun.
“Bringing legal education to rural communities to inspire the next generation of local attorneys and close the justice gap.”
Rural School Engagement. Introductory sessions, instructional courses, and trial curricula provided to rural schools at zero cost. Each school will be paired with mock trial alumni who will provide direct coaching and mentoring. Financial assistance will be provided for qualifying teams at the ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational.
Digital Advocacy. Law and mock trial content on TikTok and Instagram aimed at high schoolers to cultivate interest in the legal field. Donations made to the transparent donation platform Ko-Fi.
Legal Authority
Oasis Mock Trial CO. is chartered as a nonprofit corporation under the Illinois General Not For Profit Corporation Act (805 ILCS 105) and recognized under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Its principal office is in Hinsdale, DuPage County, Illinois.
Founding Leadership Team
Everyone on the team is a competitor on the Hinsdale Central Mock Trial team.
- Emily Zhou
- Jordan Meyers
- Madeline McNaughton
- Aarush Goel
- Amira Kapadia
“We seek to foster a ‘tradition of law’ in rural Illinois. Our ultimate goal is for students to pursue law school and return to their hometowns as practicing attorneys, effectively closing the justice gap.”
Curriculum
Comprehensive instructional courses and trial curricula, complete with video examples. Each card below links to the full lesson.
How to Help
Become a Mock Trial Coach
If you are an attorney, law student, or mock trial alumni, consider doing some pro bono work by volunteering your time to help a rural mock trial team learn about the legal system and polish their work. Just one hour a week can make a difference for a school with a new mock trial team.
Email usA Donation Goes a Long Way
Starting a mock trial team isn’t cheap, which prevents many schools from being able to compete each year. Registration, travel costs, and materials all take a considerable amount of money. Even donations the price of a small coffee can help a student achieve their mock trial goals.
Give via GoFundMeFirms & Legal Departments
If you run a firm or work in a legal department, consider offering short-term, remote, or hybrid summer internships specifically for students from rural Illinois. Giving a young person their very first look at real legal work breaks down invisible barriers and turns mock trial inspiration into a real career path.
Email usLike, Comment, and Share
Awareness is free. You can advocate for the cause simply by sharing Oasis Mock Trial's posts, tagging local educators, or talking to school boards in rural or underfunded areas about the benefits of legal education. The more people who know what a legal desert is, the more people we can get to help irrigate it.
Follow @oasismocktrialContact
- Email oasismocktrial@gmail.com
- Phone 224-388-2010
- Instagram @oasismocktrial
- TikTok @oasismocktrial