Mock Trial: How Students Simulate Justice

by Theodore Morrison, age 18

“Did you kill Astor Rufflebottom?” That was a question I heard numerous times while competing on West High School’s Team Two for Mock Trial. Mock Trial is a middle school to college club that involves students representing the state or the plaintiff, and others representing the defense, in a realistic simulation of a trial.

In this past year's case for Wisconsin high schools, the defendant, MJ Mossbridge, was accused of murdering his friend and rival, Astor Rufflebottom, to win a video game tournament and gain millions of dollars in brand deals.

During the season, students planned, prepared, and scrimmaged through the case to best prepare themselves; beyond that, they were able to better understand the process of trying someone in criminal court. Through all of these experiences, students learn valuable advocacy skills and gain valuable insights into our legal system.

Mock Trial operates through regions, depending on their geographic location within a state, in which teams compete against each other to advance to the State level competition. If teams win at the State level, they then go to Nationals. To effectively compete against other teams, participants must act as if they were in a real courtroom and present their case in accordance with routine courtroom procedures. These regulations mandate that students must present opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, and closing statements.

During all of these presentations of law, participants must also always be aware of the arguments their opposition is making, and then change their own presentations to adapt. Beyond these skills for the lawyers, witnesses learn theatrical skills and are able to apply those abilities as they depict their character as they testify. Witnesses must also be able to utilize memorization skills and be able to adapt the memorized content to an evolving set of questions they face at competition, skills which must be fine-tuned if witnesses want to be able to face down cross-examination by an opposing lawyer.

Individual skills are not the sole focus of these events: teamwork is an essential element of a successful team, and the coherence of a team can boost it to new heights, while decoherence can drop it into chaos and incoherence. In all, an extensive knowledge of the law and its use is vital to Mock Trial and serves to benefit the best and most dedicated teams who want to compete in the event.

Mock Trial offers invaluable opportunities to learn life skills, engage in our system of justice, make captivating connections with fellow students, and many other benefits. For one, students are forced to work closely with teammates leading up to the regional competition in order to prepare; teams need to be able to have a coherent flow between their material, and team members must collaborate intimately in order to operate efficiently, such that they are able to distinguish themselves. These functions serve to build social and teamwork skills.

The complex and confusing rules of evidence present participants with unique opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills. These rules of evidence allow participants to work through case materials which outline the crime(s) accused and the statements of the witnesses.

Beyond these skills, Mock Trial expands a participant's ability to adapt and learn, also known as coachability. During almost every practice, participants will engage in dialogue about their progress and preparations for the regional competition with teammates and also coaches, all of whom will provide feedback and areas for improvement for the respective participants. On top of that, participants often receive notes and criticism from judges of scrimmages, many of which harshly–and sometimes incorrectly–criticize the content that you felt so confident in.

All of these challenges and opportunities to expand your skill set are not easy; you will be tested repeatedly. However, for those able to persevere through the storm, it becomes an eye-opening experience that you will not forget.

I have offered a lot of facts and a lot of benefits; nonetheless, I have yet to address the question at large: is a Mock Trial worth it? My answer: emphatically and enthusiastically YES! I have participated and completed all three seasons of Mock Trial as a current senior and am impatiently waiting for my senior year season. I am really hoping to get on Team One this next season; we’ll see what happens. I have had an absolutely spectacular time with both the amazing group of coaches and my uber-talented and passionate teammates who have progressed with me into Team Two this last season.

For context and support, when I say a spectacular time, I am talking about the moment a round at the regional competition ends and you breathe out that breath you did not know you were holding the whole time; I am talking about getting to see your work and your teammate’s work adapt and change from the start of the season; I am talking about getting to feel the satisfaction of executing months of hard work during the regional competition and it working well because of your tireless hard work; I am talking about the first time you read the case and get filled with curiosity and the excitement of a great season ahead; and most of all I am talking about a teammate delivering an improv closing as you all sit around a teammate’s dining room table and everyone laughing emphatically as they say something completely out of left field. It has been, is, and will continue to be one of my strongest beliefs that Mock Trial has changed my life forever, and that anyone who has participated in Mock Trial before, who has gone through the same challenges and joys of the activity, would share many of the same sentiments.

I sincerely and truly hope that my article has moved you towards Mock Trial. I genuinely believe that Mock Trial is one of the best opportunities for joy-filled challenges you can have in an educational setting. As such, I would strongly push that middle school through college or law school students challenge themselves and join a Mock Trial. I would encourage those currently practicing law, or simply knowledgeable about the trial system and procedure, to volunteer as a coach for a local high school Mock Trial team or as a judge for competitions. All of these roles allow Mock Trial to run, and without them, the competition that provides so much opportunity for growth and so much joy would not be possible.

In all, I would challenge anyone and everyone who can participate in Mock Trial to participate; I would encourage participants to take advantage of the opportunities granted to them within Mock Trial to build upon themselves in ways otherwise inaccessible, and to build on their ability to passionately defend the ideals of justice.

[Source: The Wisconsin State Bar]