Natasha Wrae, Mock Trial Coach

Natasha acts as the head coach of the University of Arizona Undergraduate Mock Trial program. The program, founded in 2002 is among the Nation's top 25 programs and routinely wins awards on both the regional and national level. In the program's four years, Natasha has coached three students three All-American witness honors and three to All-American attorney honors.

Natasha is assisted by her husband and local attorney, Michael Storie as well as Casey McGinley, Deputy Pima County Attorney and Lawrence Ward, Judicial Clerk to the Hon. Jane Eikelberry.

Natasha's students also work to organize a national invitational tournament which brings in 34 teams from across the country. The event, the Desert Classic, is held each year at the end of January at the Pima County Superior Courthouse. The event relies on volunteers from the Tucson legal community, as well as many friends and colleagues of Natasha's, to act as judges for the competition.

More information on the mock trial program can be found at www.arizonamocktrial.com.

(from top to bottom, left to right: Casey McGinley, Esq. (asst. coach), Joel Patterson, Brandon Nagy, Jeremy Tor, James Cool, Natasha Wrae, Esq. (head coach) and her 1 year old son Connor, Amrietha Nellan, Sarah Barrios, Ashley Hunsaker)

The University of Arizona team pictured here recently finished 3rd in their division at the National Championship Tournament in Des Moines, IA. Their finish with a record of 6-1-1 places the team 4th out of over 540 teams nationwide. Natasha's students also received the prestigious Spirit of the American Mock Trial Association Award. The Spirit of AMTA is awarded to two teams from the 64 team field at the National Tournament. It is awarded to those students, who by vote of their peer opponents, best exemplify the virtues of congenality, fair play and professionalism. Natasha's students received the only perfect Spirit of AMTA score in the 64 team field, receiving three perfect 10 ratings from their peers. Natasha's students defeated competition from Notre Dame University, Loras College (3rd place overall), University of Texas at Austin (10th place overall) and Princeton University. 4th place nationally is the program's highest finish to date.