DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University students in Model Illinois Government (MIG) and Moot Court recently traveled to Springfield to participate in the 2025 State MIG Conference. MIG students got to debate on the floor of the House of Representatives in the Illinois State Capitol.
Model Illinois Government is an organization that simulates the legislative and executive branches of state government at a competition each spring. The organization aims to get people involved and aware of what occurs in politics in all branches of the government.
“At MIG, students research real legislation currently under discussion in the House and Senate, crafting bill summaries that outline their stance,” Millikin Political Science Associate Professor Dr. Laura Dean said. “They refine their skills by drafting speeches, participating in mock debates using parliamentary procedure, and immersing themselves in the complexities of politics—from understanding party ideologies to analyzing the roles of key party leaders in shaping political discourse.”
The MIG Moot Court competition simulates arguments at the Illinois Supreme Court level and judicial branch of government. During the competition, teams of attorneys argue their cases before a panel of student justices and legal professionals.
Three teams from Millikin competed in the Moot Court competition, and the team consisting of junior Political Science and Philosophy double-major Maggie Schrage and senior Philosophy, History, and English Creative Writing triple-major Olivia Swords advanced to the final round, taking second place overall at the competition.
Swords was honored with the Most Outstanding Moot Court Attorney award, the highest individual award given at the competition. This is the second time Swords has received that honor.
Also competing at the conference were Moot Court teams of junior Grant Gillen, junior Emma Reidy, freshman Gavin Dobson, and sophomore Thomas Ruiz.
“During Olivia’s stellar four-year career on Moot Court, her teams placed third, second, first, and second overall at the competition,” Millikin Professor of Philosophy Robert Money said. “All of our students worked extremely hard before and during the competition to construct and deliver sophisticated legal arguments. Their talents were on full display, and they worked continuously over the three days to improve their arguments. The results speak for themselves.”
MIG and Moot Court offer excellent Performance Learning opportunities for Millikin students, who get an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the experiences of legal and political leaders in the State Capitol while performing state government.
“MIG stands out as a rare opportunity in this country, as few states offer mock government competitions for college students—let alone a conference where participants debate actual bills and take on the roles of legislators,” Dean said. “These experiences encourage students to engage more critically with governmental issues. In this setting, they become real legislators, delivering speeches, posing questions, and drafting their own original legislation for debate.”
