Nicholas Cotter

Nicholas Cotter is a third-year law student at the UC Berkeley School of Law. He is a member of the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, a Research Fellow for the California Constitution Center, and a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA). Nick also serves as a co-director and competitor for the Berkeley Law Trial Team. Before attending Berkeley Law, Nick earned a master’s degree in Music Performance from CSU Long Beach and bachelor’s degrees in Music and Neurobiology from UC Berkeley.

Nick’s first introduction to trial advocacy came in 2011, when he competed for the Prospect High School mock trial team in San Jose, California. That year, he was a Santa Clara County Champion, competed at the California State Finals, and was named the top pre-trial defense attorney in the state. At UC Berkeley, he was a four-year competitor for the Cal Mock Trial team. During his time in the program, Nick earned 11 individual awards, including All-Region, All-National, and All-American honors. In 2015, his team finished second in the nation at the National Championship Tournament. At Berkeley Law, Nick earned top finishes at several national trial advocacy competitions.

As a coach, Nick has worked with teams at both the high school and college levels. Since 2013, Nick has coached high school mock trial programs throughout California. His students have earned recognition as top competitors at the county, state, and national levels. Since 2016, he has served as a coach for Cal Mock Trial, where he has led teams to top finishes at invitational, regional, and national tournaments.

Nick contributed hours to this project behind the scenes.  Although he doesn't appear on camera, this project is measurably better for his involvement. 

After graduation, Nick plans to pursue a career in public defense.