The mock trial club is preparing for a new season by having introductory meetings to teach the new and returning members about law and public speaking.
The mock trial club started around eight years ago, with the purpose of having students learn about law and practice being and having a role in a court case. The captains said this club will help with real-world skills. “It helps with critical thinking and public speaking,” sophomore and co-captain Arya Subramanian said.
In mock trials, students are given a case and assigned to be a witness or lawyer. They must be prepared to deliver opening and closing statements, examine and cross examine witnesses, and use the courtroom process to argue a hypothetical case.
The club is currently having preliminary meetings to learn more about law and what mock trial is about. The captains are starting to prepare the students for the upcoming tryouts, which will take place on Oct. 20 and 21.
Mock trial is led by three co-captains: Subramanian, Daniela Naaman and Mahita Dheenadhayalan. They work together to oversee what is going on, come up with new ideas to grow the club and train the members.
The club has a big sense of community and spirit. The captains are excited at the number of students who have joined this year, especially freshmen. The members are welcoming. “When I first joined last year, I was new to the school…the people that were captains…helped me learn everyone’s names and what the role of the club was before. So that felt pretty nice to me,” junior and attorney Tariq Bin Ashraf said.
The mock trial club competes against other schools in actual courtrooms. This year, they are hoping to make it to the state finals after losing at regional semifinals last year. The club is hoping to have more competitive practice sessions to get ready for the competitions, which start in January or February.
In past years, the mock trial club hasn’t done fundraisers, but this year, the club’s leaders are looking into a new and fun way to raise money. “This year, we’re looking at potentially exploring the idea of getting merch, which is really exciting, but we’re still figuring all that out,” junior and co-captain Daniela Naaman said.
The club wants to have more spots for the official mock trial team, because as of now,
there are a limited number of spaces. The club also wants to improve team spirit and have more team activities, meetings and practices.
The mock trial club has helped students create bonds between people and promotes a challenging, but an exciting space. A couple of members joined because they weren’t completely sure what they wanted to study in the future. “We just want students excited about law and exploring this as a potential career option…You get to meet a lot of interesting people, and I’ve grown so much as a public speaker myself through this club, and I’ve seen how much it’s helped others as well,” Naaman said.
