Written by: WSCL Marketing Team
A Rising Advocate Who Earned an Early Spot in Competition
When Chase Gleason talks about trial work, there’s a spark, an unmistakable clarity about where he’s headed and why. Now a 3L at Western State College of Law, Chase has already earned a reputation as one of the school’s strongest advocates, a standout leader, and a driving force behind Western State’s newly formed Mock Trial Society, where he serves as the inaugural President.
His journey began earlier than most. While 1L students typically watch Professor Bob Molko’s mock trial team from the sidelines, Chase dove right in. He wanted to participate in it. “I went to practice every single day, and read the fact patterns,” he says. “I never got to do any competitive roles, but come spring, Professor Molko trusted me enough to compete as a 1L.”
That trust led to Chase competing at the Texas Young Lawyers Association Regional Competition at UCLA. He even got to work both sides of the case, serving as attorney for the prosecution and the defense. Playing both sides is unusually demanding for seasoned advocates, never mind a 1L who technically wasn’t supposed to compete yet. But Chase’s talent was so striking that he was given the opportunity earlier than most.
Building Experience With Purpose
Chase came to law school with a clear picture of what he wanted to do: criminal law, with a focus on prosecution. He explains, “I figured getting experience early on would be the best approach for me to hit the ground running once I graduate.” That’s a mindset that shaped every decision he has made as a law student. This led him to immediately join mock trial, pursue competitive opportunities well before most students do, and spend back-to-back summers at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, where he completed preliminary hearings and even conducted a jury trial as a certified law clerk.
Chase emphasizes that his hands-on experiences came through the help of faculty at Western State. “Professor Molko has been nothing short of fantastic,” Chase says. He noted that Molko consistently checks in on his goals to see if he’s taking the right steps to reach them. In fact, during Chase’s first year, before he even submitted his internship application, Professor Molko personally contacted the hiring officer at the Riverside DA’s Office to recommend him. This helped him land his first internship.
For Chase, that type of mentorship is just part of Western State’s culture: a law school where faculty invest in students, guide them, and open doors that help transform ambition into real courtroom experience.
Mock Trial Mastery on the National Stage
Success at the National Syracuse Mock Trial Competition
If there’s one chapter of Chase’s journey that really captures his growth in the field, it’s the mock trial team’s outstanding performance at the National Syracuse Mock Trial Competition. Against strong law schools from across the country, Western State delivered an exceptional performance. “I believe it was the most our team had ever won at a mock trial tournament,” Chase recalls.
The team took second place overall, falling only to Stetson University. Out of 16 schools and dozens of advocates, Chase won the tournament’s Best Overall Advocate Award. His teammate and current Vice President of the Mock Trial Society, Matthew Dos Santos, won the Best Closing Argument Award.
The awards were great. But for Chase, it was more than that. “The combination of those awards showed that our team was properly trained and properly prepared,” he explained. “We demonstrated that Western State can match up with any school.”
Chase takes great pride in being a law student at Western State, the oldest law school in Orange County. Syracuse was their moment to demonstrate what Western State students already know. “We have really, really talented students at this school,” he says. “Syracuse was a chance to show that Western State is a fantastic school, and we can compete against anyone.”
Another Major Win at the San Diego Defense Lawyers Mock Trial Competition
And Syracuse wasn’t the end of the story. Recently, Chase competed again at the San Diego Defense Lawyers Mock Trial Competition, which included teams from Pepperdine, UCI, Southwestern, Pacific McGeorge, Chapman, Cal Western, and several others. And yet again, Chase won the award for Best Overall Advocate.
This competition is known for its intensity: three-hour rounds, multiple scored components, and rigorous evidentiary performance. And Western State’s mock trial team performed exceptionally well, reaching the semifinals.
Chase being named Best Overall Advocate again is a testament to his consistency, his presence in the courtroom, and the power of Western State’s training.
Western State: The Right Fit and Right Community
For Chase, choosing Western State was as much about his personal direction as it was about location. Growing up in Riverside County, he wanted a law school close enough to stay rooted in his community. Western State, being in Orange County, checked out in terms of proximity. Once he began researching Western State’s strengths, particularly in criminal law and trial advocacy, Chase knew the law school was a strong option.
What caught his attention most were the credentials of the professors who would become his mentors. Professor Robert Molko spent more than 32 years as a prosecutor, and Professor Mark Brown served as Assistant Public Defender in Orange County, both bringing decades of real courtroom experience to every practice round as coaches of the mock trial team. “Between them, they have close to 70 years of experience in criminal law. I get the best of both worlds on how to best make your case to a jury,” Chase says.
But what ultimately sealed the deal for him wasn’t the faculty; it was the students. Chase expected law school to be a competitive, cutthroat environment. Instead, he found something radically different: a collaborative community built on encouragement, shared resources, and mutual support. Students share outlines, talk through tough concepts, quiz one another before exams, and celebrate each other’s victories. “It’s the students that make Western State such a great place to go for law school,” he says. “The friends I’ve made here will remain friends for life.”
From professors to administrative staff, Chase describes Western State as a place that was designed to help students succeed on a personal, academic, and professional level. What began as a practical choice has now become a home defined by mentorship, community, and lasting relationships.
Balancing Law School Life With Lists, Teamwork, and Pickleball
With competitions, classes, internships, and leadership responsibilities, Chase’s days are so full that organization becomes essential. His strategy is surprisingly simple: lists. “I’m really big into creating lists and prioritizing by importance and deadlines,” he explains. Mapping out each week helps him balance studying, case prep, and competition work.
Having this kind of structure helps keep him grounded, but so does taking a break. At Western State, mock trial teams have their own end-of-season tradition: pickleball, a ritual introduced by Professor Molko. It gives students a way to compete, bond, and relax. “It’s a good way for us to shut our brain off from thinking about rules of evidence or cases,” Chase says. “It’s just a fun way to decompress.”
Outside of school, Chase likes playing golf, fishing, barbecuing with family, and is a big fan of the Dodgers. Those moments turn out to be incredibly important to his success, reminding him that balance is a skill, one as important as any rule of evidence. And it’s a lesson he regularly shares with younger students: structure your time, protect your energy, and make room for joy.
Mentorship and Leadership: Shaping the Future
Mentoring Future Lawyers
Mentorship has always been a strong part of Chase’s law school journey. He didn’t always know he wanted to be an attorney; that realization came late in community college after a constitutional law class lit up a spark in him. “I loved the arguing over hot-button issues, the back-and-forth,” he says. From then on, first at Cal Poly and now at Western State, mentors guided him, shaping him into the advocate he’s becoming.
Now, Chase is committed to offering that same guidance to other students in his shoes. Through the Mock Trial Society, he mentors teammates, helps newer students with case theory and evidence, and encourages anyone who’s even a little curious to give mock trial a try. “Even if you don’t want to be a trial attorney or litigator, the skills you learn, like thinking on your feet, working with a team, forming a cohesive case theory, are invaluable,” he says. Chase helped co-found the Mock Trial Society with Professor Robert Molko, formalizing student leadership and creating a structure that other students could build on. It’s one of the accomplishments Chase is most proud of.
Looking Ahead
Professionally, Chase is confident that prosecution is where his future lies. After spending two summers at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, including time in the Domestic Violence Unit, where he conducted preliminary hearings and a jury trial as a certified law clerk, he knows exactly where he wants to serve. He’s currently in contact with several DA offices across California, preparing to pursue a career that lines up with his values, training, and long-term goals.
And even after graduation, Chase already sees Western State in his future. He hopes to return as an alum to judge mock trial rounds, coach future teams, and continue building the program he helped formalize. The Mock Trial Society is one of his proudest accomplishments, and he wants to be part of its growth for years to come.
Western State Proud
Chase’s Western State journey has been shaped by steady work, clear goals, and a strong belief in the students around him. His accomplishments, from national awards to courtroom experience, are a result of both his own skill as well as the guidance he received here at Western State.
His story captures exactly what it means to be Western State Proud: a community where classmates help each other, share what they know, and uplift each other. Chase’s achievements exemplify what happens when a determined student has a strong, supportive community behind him. And as he moves toward a future in prosecution, he carries the legacy of his team, his mentors, and his school with him. His journey has been remarkable, and this is just the beginning.
