Nicholas Cotter is an attorney at the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office in Oakland, California. He is a Cal Mock Trial alumnus and has served as a coach since 2016.
Nick’s first introduction to trial advocacy came in 2011, when he competed as the Defense Pretrial Attorney for Prospect High School Mock Trial (San Jose, California). That year, he was a Santa Clara County Champion and won the J. Skelley Wright Award for Outstanding Constitutional Advocacy at the California State Finals.
Nick then attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he double majored in Molecular & Cell Biology (Neurobiology) and Music (Woodwind Performance). At Berkeley, Nick was a member of the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, the University Wind Ensemble, UC Jazz Ensembles, and the University of California Marching Band. He also served as an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer for The Daily Californian.
During college, Nick was also a four-year competitor for Cal Mock Trial, UC Berkeley’s Official Mock Trial Program. From 2011 to 2015, he competed as both an attorney and a witness, and represented each of Berkeley’s four teams (D, C, B, and A) at tournaments across the country. Nick served on the team’s Executive Committee as the External Treasurer for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, where he organized tournaments, directed workshop programs, and taught UC Berkeley’s first undergraduate course in trial advocacy. As a competitor, Nick earned 11 individual awards, including All-Region, All-National, and All-American honors. In his senior year, Nick helped lead Cal’s A Team to a 2nd Place finish at the 2015 National Championship Tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio – tied for the best finish in program history – and in doing so was named an Intercollegiate All-American Attorney.
After college, Nick went on to attend the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach, where he earned his Master of Music Degree in Woodwind Performance.
Nick then went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law where he earned his J.D. There, he was a staff editor for the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, a research fellow at the California Constitution Center, and a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA). Nick was also a competitor, captain, and co-director for the Berkeley Law Trial Team where he was a Champion and Top Advocate of the law school’s internal trial competition and a National Semi-Finalist and National Finalist at several national trial advocacy competitions. At graduation, Nick received the Anthony F. Dragonette Award in Civil Trial Practice, given annually to the top graduating student in trial advocacy.
As a coach, Nick has trained and consulted with teams at the high school, college, and law school 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. In 2018, his competitor finished as a semifinalist at Gladiator, the 1-on-1 High School Mock Trial World Championship. As an attorney coach for Cal Mock Trial, Nick has worked with every team in the program, and coached them to top finishes at invitational, regional, and national tournaments. He is also an attorney coach for the Berkeley Law Trial Team.
Nick now works as an Associate Deputy Public Defender with the Alameda County Public Defender. He is a jury trial attorney representing indigent clients charged with criminal cases. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with the California Constitution Center, a member of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, and a co-chair of the case committee for Empire Mock Trial.
When not working or coaching, Nick enjoys performing and teaching music, watching the San Francisco Giants, and cheering for Cal Football (Go Bears!)