Students, teachers, and parents alike sit in the spectator area of the courtroom at the edge of their seats, waiting for the trial to start. The door suddenly swings open, and the judge’s booming steps echo in the room where you could hear a pin drop. The bailiff declares for all to rise for the honorable judge. The sound of everyone standing up disperses around the room, as the judge makes her way past the bar, the prosecution, and the defense attorneys. After an introductory speech, the trial begins. Opening statements are given, witnesses are called to the stand and sworn in, attorneys make fierce, compelling objections, coaches yearn to speak with their team, some unjustly even do, and yet the final verdict is ultimately determined by the judge. After closing statements are given, hoping to reinforce their theory of the case, the judge gives her opinion. It was a close call, she admits. And so, by one point, the final verdict is given to the defense. I looked around at my fellow peers, my friend in the jury box, and my two teachers, as smiles broke into all our faces, including mine. We had just won. The Francis Lewis Defense, also known as our very own team from the Mock Trial Club had just won their first round!
“At our end-of-year dinner, I told the students I had three goals for the year,” said mock trial advisor, Ms. Depaolis. “Number one, I wanted to win at least one round—and we did. Number two, we would have fun, we would work hard, play hard, and number three, having a really cool sweatshirt.”
Ms. Depaolis has shown the team that law is not how it is typically depicted on TV. It comes with detail, nitpicking, and paying attention to every little thing going on in court, which is what the club itself specializes in. Therefore, learning from it is helpful.
“I loved law school,” added Ms. Depaolis. “It taught me critical thinking skills, being able to look at a subject or a topic and see it from all different angles.”
She explained that many students are typically wired to think, “What’s the right answer to this problem?” However, in law, whatever you think the correct answer is, all you have to do is prove it, and that is a luxury to those who enjoy it.
“Law doesn’t have one right answer,” explained Ms. Depaolis. “It’s about proving what you believe to be true.”
While Ms. Depaolis highlights the legal and critical thinking skills developed in the club, social studies teacher Mr. Ardis emphasizes the experiential aspect of mock trial.
“The Mock Trial program is an excellent way for students to get an authentic learning experience and some real-world applications to their learning styles that they bring in class,” said Mr. Ardis.
The competitions that the Mock Trial club participates in also serve to be a great real-world aspect and are a point of excitement and celebration for the team.
“I can see how excited they get when competitions are coming up,” explained Mr. Ardis. “And I also see how proud of themselves they are when they succeed through the Mock Trial club.”
Mr. Ardis adds that despite not having an extreme passion for the law, being a part of the club can still be an advantage for students.
“If they’re not interested in law, I still think there’s a lot of valuable skills from the Mock Trial club, like the ability to learn how to research and to public speak, and those are two very important skills moving forward,” expressed Mr. Ardis.
While Mr. Ardis highlights the educational value of the club, students like Mia Rivera focus on the personal growth it fosters.
“I joined the Mock Trial club because I was originally interested in law and I really like public speaking,” said Rivera. “I sometimes like debates, but I mostly joined it to collaborate with other people who like the same things I like.”
Rivera confessed that she “used to kind of sweat when speaking in front of a big group of people,” yet being in the club helped her overcome any anxieties on her mind and has helped her develop the skill of public speaking eloquently. While Rivera was anxious of the social aspect of the club, this is exactly what drew senior Danny Garcia to join it.
“I was in the team last year,” Garcia said. “I joined it because I actually enjoyed the camaraderie, like actually talking to other people and working together. It felt a lot better than when I was in moot court and that felt a lot more isolated. You kind of work on your own [in moot court] and it’s much more fun for me to work with other people.”
Garcia added, that the club focuses on interpersonal connections greatly.
“Being part of the club means you get to meet a lot of people,” stated Garcia. “I’m a big fan of that.”
Recently, the Mock Trial team has also successfully won their second round of competition on February 26th, marking an unforgettable success in Francis Lewis’s history. With all their recent accomplishments, students continue to reflect on the benefits that the club brings.
“I’d say that this club is about working together,” Garcia said, “It’s a big thing. It’s definitely a team club and it’s about learning the court system. And I think that’s a really nice skill to have. Even if you don’t wanna become a future lawyer, learning how to speak in front of a professional crowd is definitely a really important skill that many people need to learn.”
Garcia’s statement underscores the importance of public speaking and the ability to work cohesively with others, skills that are universally valued and increasingly necessary in today’s world.
“I’d say this club is perfect for beginners who at first, don’t know much about law, but want to get into law because this club is very accessible to many forms,” states Rivera.
Rivera and Garcia both emphasize the significance of being able to attain direct human communication and social skills, crucial to work in court and in the world of law and just to be able to speak to someone in an everyday setting.
“It’s great for people who wanna develop public speaking,” Garcia stated, “and for people who wanna really step out of their comfort zone and really show themselves in front of a large group of people.”
