Students in one of South’s most involved academic competitions, Mock Trial, were very excited to qualify for the Oregon state championships after placing in the top three at their regional competition.
The team credited attending early-season competitions such as the Mini Mock Competition for their success, which prepared them to participate in these bigger tournaments. The state championship will be held in Portland from March 14-15.
Mock Trial builds members’ knowledge of the law and real courtroom procedures as well as strengthens their confidence in public speaking. The team practices for three hours every Wednesday, learning how to prepare arguments and operate within the rules of legal procedures. Members take on roles when they compete in the courtroom such as lawyers, jurors, and witnesses to act out a legal case.
Devin Lin, a senior on the team, said that his favorite part of being on the team is the competition in the courtroom itself. “I think it’s really cool to be in a court setting with actual judges presiding over the court,” he said.
This year, the fictional case that members are formulating arguments for follows the conflict between three high schoolers as their friend group grows older and they all prepare to head off to college. The criminal case is mounted in the disappearance of a kid on the night of prom, when she was allegedly pushed off of a cliff. Creative and dynamic fictional cases like this one help the members of the Mock Trial team learn to create arguments in a lighter setting before taking on the real, serious implications of criminal and civil cases.
Lin stated that “Mock Trial allowed me to understand the nuances that a case could have, and how much work attorneys on both sides of the aisle have to put into arguing their case. This helps explain why important court cases, let’s say, surrounding the Trump administration, move so slowly.”
Overall, Lin has found that Mock Trial has helped him improve his ability to analyze and come up with concrete arguments. “Honestly, I’ve improved so much at just being able to talk with confidence and with clarity,” he concluded.
The team’s coaching staff includes Emily Stull, the main coach and an attorney at the Lane County District Attorney’s office, who assists the team with her real-world expertise and passion for helping the community. In addition, Marcus Vejar and Kayla Cardena-Solomon serve as assistant coaches to ensure the team’s case runs smoothly.
Article by Alaya Drummond