Oye's first day teaching at UMD in 2024. Oye teaches the Mock Trial class and coaches the team. Photo provided by Kirstyn Oye.

The thrill of the courtroom is only seen on TV for most, but Kirstyn Oye gets to live in it daily.

Oye has plenty on her plate, including being an assistant St. Louis County attorney, a mock trial coach (and professor) at UMD and being a mom of two kids.

Oye knew from a young age she wanted to work somewhere within criminal investigation and its related fields. “I've always been fascinated by murder and solving crimes and putting everything together,” Oye said. Like most kids, the specifics changed over time, but her chosen field never did. At first, she wanted to become an investigator, but after one of her classmates visited her class and said he had to get pepper-sprayed and tased, Oye decided becoming a prosecutor sounded like a better plan. Since that moment, Oye has been dedicated to her practice. She started her higher education at UMD, where she joined the mock trial club. “We had a very weird year that year,” Oye said, “by the time we got to the end of the tournament, I was the only person left.” For others, this might have been off-putting, but for Oye, the perseverance proved she knew what she wanted to do.

Oye graduated in 2017 from UMD with a Theater BA and a minor in Political Science. She then continued at William Mitchell for law school. She now works as an assistant St. Louis County attorney, where she’s a prosecutor in the criminal division. As noted before, Oye is a prosecutor by day and a Mock Trial aficionado by night. She coaches the team on Tuesday evenings before skedaddling over to the Mock Trial class. Oye’s makes the class interactive, saying, “we like to keep it interesting.” She uses real-life examples in her class, some of them from her work.

Oye poses in front of the courthouse on her first day at the St. Louis County Attorney's Office in July 2022. She's busy there, as well as coaching and teaching mock trial, being a mom of 2, volunteering at her church, playing in the band and running programing. Photo provided by. Kirstyn Oye

Oye’s background in theater lends itself both to the courtroom and the class. Oye said most of her colleagues are much more analytical, but theater prepped Oye with some unique skills, such as public speaking, being able to tell a story, as well as vocal elements like tone and animation. In a Mock Trial, the acting portion plays a role as students play witnesses in cases.

Oye likes the platform Mock Trial brings to law, opening the door for anyone of any background to experience what it’s like. Students can ask, “hey, is this law thing for me?” Even if it’s not, an understanding of how the court system works can come in handy.

Oye encourages students to come to a meeting; the team will take anyone interested. She said it feels full circle to have participated in a Mock Trial in college, then to coach it now. Oye closed, saying, “I’m very honored…to be a part of this process. We’re really growing and giving people a genuine and unique experience. It’s mesmerizing to be allowed to be a part of this for so many people.”

The Trials May be Mock, but the Lessons are Real