By Khalida Sarwari
Some get into it for the acting, some get into it for the legal experience, but for the students at Prospect High School, the mock trial program is serious business.
Contrary to what some may think, the program doesn’t appeal just to aspiring attorneys. In recent years, one former student was offered an internship at a law firm, while another who participated in the program for four years went on to pursue a career in film. The motivation may be different for each student, but when they come together as a team, winning is all that matters.
And there’s no shortage of that at Prospect. Over the last 12 years, the defending county champs have compiled an impressive record that reflects 12 trips to the quarterfinals, six trips to the semifinals, and four to the finals, three of which they’ve won. Over the past four years, Prospect has advanced through the quarters to the semifinals each year, winning two county championships.
“They are now the powerhouse,” said James Scharf, an assistant U.S. attorney who served as the head coach of the mock trial team at Willow Glen High School. Prospect bested Willow Glen in the final round for another chance at winning the state competition.
“Last year when we went to the state competition, the goal was to go down and just do well. And they did very well,” said Steve Smith, a social studies teacher and team coach at Prospect. “The goal this year is to do better than that.”
In the state competition last year, Prospect won three rounds and lost one. If it wins the state tournament, it will advance to the national tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.
The ultimate prize?
“We miss prom,” remarked Jack Eyers.
Jack and his teammates might be spending more time in classrooms than in shopping malls as they prepare to spar against their state counterparts over the next few weeks, but the payoff is already evident.
“Even if you’re not planning to be an attorney, I think mock trial is an interesting legal experience,” said Malina Gulino, a 16-year-old junior who served as a pre-trial attorney for the prosecution team. “It’s really beneficial, especially with the final rounds [when] you get to meet the district attorney and the public defender, and you get to really get a sense of what makes a good attorney and have a good understanding of the law.”
Every year in October, from 20 to 28 private and public schools in the county receive the same hypothetical case. Students audition for up to 18 roles consisting of a pre-trial attorney, trial attorneys, witnesses and a court staffer on two teams, defense and prosecution. The program culminates in February with a county-wide tournament at the downtown superior court with actual judges presiding and real lawyers serving as scoring jurors.
This year, the teams argued a murder case involving the 22-year-old grandson of a U.S. senator who is accused of stabbing to death his childhood friend to prevent her from reporting his plagiarism and drug use. At stake is $20 million in a trust fund that requires him to maintain a 3.5 G.P.A. and to graduate within four years. He is also charged with carrying a concealed and loaded handgun in public without a permit. Students on the defense team argued that the prosecution’s evidence was inconclusive, that the victim’s obsessive best friend may be the true killer and that the defendant had a Second Amendment right to carry a loaded gun outside the home for self-protection.
The program is an opportunity for students to learn not only about the legal system, but to polish their public speaking skills.
“People sometimes think mock trial is like theater, but it’s really so incredibly different,” said Jack, a 17-year-old senior who served as a prosecuting attorney and was also the defendant. “Mock trial is so much more thinking on your feet and responding to the questions asked. You have to read the judge, and you have to see how much time you’ve got left. It’s a lot more improvisational.”
