Law and acting join forces in the Mock Trial Team. In the coming school year, there is an opportunity for students to get involved in clubs, gain real-world experiences, and make close friends by joining Mock Trial.
The team competes in events that are designed just as the name suggests: through the YMCA Youth & Government organization, they simulate trials with parts for attorneys, witnesses, and justices.
Sophomore Lauren Graham had the role of judge this past season, qualifying for state at their November competition.
“As a judge, you have to know how a court runs and rule on objections,” Graham said. “You get to be in control. So I really enjoyed that, and I think that might be something I would be interested in later.”
There are different roles for people who may not be as comfortable controlling the floor. Attorneys need to be quick-thinkers, understand law, and have improvisation and debate skills, whereas the job of witness may be best someone interested in theatrical performances. Sophomore and team leader Parker Sutliff is interested in a political future, and joining the team helped him learn more about law.
“Even if a person isn’t interested in being a lawyer, if they want to go into politics or public speaking or something else of the sort, even acting, there is room for them on the Mock Trial team,” he said.
The team meets about once a week, so it’s not a very time-consuming commitment for new members. Both Graham and Sutliff agreed that one of the best parts of joining the mock trial club is the friends they’ve made.
“New people should join the club so that they can learn some basic legal procedures and statutes, act out cases in a fun and dynamic way, and meet new and exciting people I did,” Sutliff said.
Interested in more information about joining Mock Trial in the fall? Email amy.hairston@kellerisd.net.