As the first quarter comes to an end, the Mock Trial program starts their preparation for their first competitions of the year. Last year was a learning experience for the team, with the Mount Michael Mock Trial program being revived after 5 years. Although every member was new to Mock Trial, the teams did see some success. Now, with the proper experience, the team has higher expectations for their second season.
The Nebraska Mock Trial Committee releases a fictional court case that every team must learn. This case includes a description of the events, witness statements, and items that can be used as evidence. The teams must learn the entirety of the case from both the perspective of the defense and the prosecution. Each team consists of 6 to 9 students, and the roles include: 3 attorneys, 3 witnesses, and 1 timekeeper.
Mock Trial is a valuable club at Mount Michael because it is extremely helpful to students that are either planning or interested in pursuing law as a future career path. Its realistic portrayal of a courtroom setting helps show students what being a lawyer or prosecutor is like. In addition to this, it also is a great way to develop public speaking skills, because individuals are required to memorize and recite certain details of the case.
Mount Michael has 3 teams competing in the competition this year: one team of all seniors, one of primarily juniors, and an underclassmen team consisting of a mixture of freshman and sophomores. Each team has a slightly different approach to their interpretation of the case, but this leads to a valuable exchange of different ideas and perspectives that mutually benefit each other’s understanding of the case material.
Both the senior and the junior teams have experience from competitions last year. This experience gives the team a huge advantage that it did not have last year.
In addition to the returning members of the junior and senior teams, there are also some new additions to each team as well. “Mock Trial has been great so far, I’ve gotten spend time with friends and learn how the court system works,” Eli Walters ’25 said. The addition of new members to the program is vital to its success. With more people on each team, it is easier for them to understand and specialize in their individual roles.
The teams have been rigorously preparing these last couple of months, trying to get ready for competition with other schools. The preparation process began back in August and has been finalized in October. This long process consists of the memorization of witness statements, question writing by the lawyers, and finally practice trials within the team.
With the last stages of preparation complete, the next step is competition with the other high schools in Nebraska. Although the competition will be tough, the team likes their chances of having a successful season.
