Mock Trial Makes Prominent Debut
Mock Trial is a state competition sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association, an organization of lawyers and judges, which presents a chance for high school students to participate in a simulation of a court trial.
This year, AB formed its first Mock Trial team thanks to junior Riley Yuan, who came across an article in The Boston Globe about the competition. He immediately realized its potential to benefit motivated AB students who were interested in law or simply wanted to improve their speaking and debating skills.
To prepare for the annual competition, which commences in late January and takes place in real courtrooms, the team received a packet of documents in early November about the complex court case. AB Mock Trial (ABMT) members met every Tuesday afternoon and every Sunday morning for months to study the documents and to form a strong argument for their case. During these meetings, the team members were assigned the different roles and were then split into two groups representing the plaintiff and the defendent to establish key arguments for each side and to decide on the most effective way to present them. Then the team divided itself into groups of three, each group including a defense attorney, a plaintiff attorney, and a witness. In these groups, the team members practiced and perfected their specific roles.
As January approached, the MT team invited guest attorneys, judges, and speakers to critique the team’s performance. The team would run through the whole trial and receive helpful suggestions from the guests to better prepare for the competition. During the meetings, the members also visited Acton’s police station to talk to Detective Dan Silva and to work with attorney coaches Phil Summers and Elizabeth Reinhardt. The adults explained the basics of trials and Massachusetts law and helped the team members apply their new knowledge to their own case. The team greatly appreciated the help of these professionals. “It was really great getting to meet attorneys, who have years of experience in the field, and it was also a good introduction to law,” comments Minshan Cui, a junior on the Mock Trial group.
At the end of January, AB Mock Trial had its first competition against Concord Academy. Everyone present was dressed in professional attire, like in a real courtroom.
Before the mock trial commenced, the courtroom was completely silent. The heavy atmosphere crushed the team with intimidation. Cui adds, “It was pretty stressful, especially when we were waiting for the judge to come to a final decision.” Sometimes, the trial would last up to three and a half hours! The AB team won against Concord Academy, and the week after that, the team succeeded a second time against Nashoba Valley Technical High School – not bad for its rookie season! Unfortunately, AB Mock Trial lost its third competition to Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School by a score of 96 to 91 (out of 100), ending its season of competitions.
The team was not too upset, however. “[The Parker] team was so well-established already,” says junior Neha Sundaram. “They knew the trial procedures and general rules much better than we did. But it’s okay, because now we know what to expect for next year and can prepare accordingly.”
AB Mock Trial members worked long and hard throughout these past months, and during the process, they learned all about trial procedures, Massachusetts general law, and even some outside information. Cui, who served the role of an expert witness, learned a lot about economics, which was her character’s area of expertise.
The benefits from this wonderful career stimulation program are huge; as Yuan confirms, “the experience has been a solid exercise in teamwork, leadership, logical and critical thinking, and of course, public speaking and debating skills.”
AB’s Mock Trial team furthermore provides an opportunity to meet and work with new people, students and professionals alike. Cui concludes, “Our entire team became sort of like a family.”
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