Mock Trial Finishes Successful Season

Jamesville-Dewitt High School's Mock Trial team may be small, but it certainly knows how to beat out the competition.

On March 2, J-DHS Mock Trial defeated Lafayette High School's Mock Trial team in an intense competition testing judicial knowledge, debate skills, and the ability to work under raw pressure. Cazenovia High School's team defeated the J-DHS team in a heartbreaking one-point win on March 4, but the J-DHS team had accumulated enough points to move on to the next round against Chittenango High School. After a close match, the J-DHS team was defeated by the Chittenango team on March 11.

Mock Trial is a team that faces off against other schools in courtroom simulations. Small teams of students prepare for an assigned case and argue it in a pretend trial. The New York State Bar Association assigns the cases, and teams work to develop solid arguments as the prosecution or the defense. Every school is assigned the same case, but in each round, teams must argue different sides of the case. Students are given individual roles to play, such as a defense witness or a prosecution lawyer. A judge decides which team has won the mock trial, tallying up points and offering criticism for teams.

"[The trial is] not like in the movies," says senior Sarah Lesser. "It's like a structured debate."

Lesser can also attest to the difficulty of competition. In the competition against Lafayette, she was a lawyer. "It was tough, but we made it through and had a good time doing it. It really takes strength."

Sophomore Allen Zhou participated in the recent competition against Lafayette as a witness. "I just like the concept of competing," says Zhou. He says that he enjoyed arguing, but memorizing responses and "trying to think of a comeback" were challenging aspects for him.

Social studies teacher Leo Brown is the faculty advisor of Mock Trial. He says that in Mock Trial he loves "tearing the case apart." Mr. Brown assists the team in their preparations for competitions, helping students develop arguments and study their assigned case. "You learn to analyze. You learn to speak in front of people," Mr. Brown says. "You really get a very basic view of how trials work." He notes that the team spends about eight hours a week working together on a case, not including the time that students spend preparing individually. "It's hard work."

This year, snow days were a complication, causing competitions to be rescheduled. Also, some members of the club had last-minute conflicts, jeopardizing the countless hours of work that the team had put in.

The team worked on Wednesdays after school until 5:00 pm in the months leading up to their competitions with faculty advisor Mr. Brown, and also with Bonnie Levy-Faigen, an experienced attorney who acts as a legal advisor for the team. "She knows what courtrooms are all about," says Mr. Brown. The team's advisors helped members to analyze the case, assign roles, prepare arguments, and memorize responses.

With focused members, tireless advisors, and hours of dedicated preparation, the team was able to find some success at competitions this year. The match against Chittenango is currently the final match scheduled. After one win and one loss, the Mock Trial team is ready to end its season on a happy note, but not without some effort.

"There's some joking, but you have to be serious," Lesser says. "There's a balance - mostly work."