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A controversia is an exercise in rhetoric; a form of declamation in which the student speaks for one side in a notional legal case such as treason or poisoning. The facts of the matter and relevant law are presented in a persuasive manner, in the style of a legal counsel.
History
The exercise was used in ancient Rome, where it was, with the suasoria, the final stage of a course in rhetoric at an academy. Seneca the Elder was an expert rhetorician and, from memory, compiled a set of classical themes for this exercise: the Controversiæ.
References
Controversia Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA