Illegal drag racing, art theft, human trafficking, and premeditated murder are just some of the varied cases which high school mock trial students litigate. In a mock trial competition, students have 90 minutes to convince real attorneys and judges of a person’s guilt or innocence. As a former mock trial competitor and current attorney coach, I guide student litigators through legal issues, giving back to a program that helped shape the attorney I am today.
The role I play as an attorney coach for Scripps Ranch High School Mock Trial is to advise students on trial techniques, procedures, and specific strategies for the case. These skills include teaching students to think critically about the case and the underlying issues, looking at an argument from both sides, studying courtroom decorum, and learning the process of argument and making or opposing objections in a dynamic and “live” environment. The student attorneys learn to examine, and cross examine, student witnesses. Students learn to speak confidently in front of judges in a real courtroom. Students often comment that it is one of the most challenging and rewarding learning experiences they encounter in high school.
Scripps Ranch High School Mock Trial attended the California State Championship competition in 2017 and 2018.
The role I play as an attorney coach for Scripps Ranch High School Mock Trial is to advise students on trial techniques, procedures, and specific strategies for the case. These skills include teaching students to think critically about the case and the underlying issues, looking at an argument from both sides, studying courtroom decorum, and learning the process of argument and making or opposing objections in a dynamic and “live” environment. The student attorneys learn to examine, and cross examine, student witnesses. Students learn to speak confidently in front of judges in a real courtroom. Students often comment that it is one of the most challenging and rewarding learning experiences they encounter in high school.
Scripps Ranch High School Mock Trial attended the California State Championship competition in 2017 and 2018.