The Mycenaean

 

What is the Competition?

On February 8, 2025, the North Carolina Mock Trial Program hosted regional competitions at 12 regional sites. After that, one team from each site will move on to the State Finals. 

The competition proceeds like a real trial, with a judge and jury members. However, unlike a real trial, the judge and jury members of this competition are typically law students or attorneys. The jury members will not return a verdict as opposed to a real trial, as their main purpose is scoring the teams. The scores provided by the jury members play a huge role in determining which teams move on to the State Finals. 

Last year, the LRHS team competed for the first time; Nadia Ferjani and Sydney Flowers won Best Attorney, and Jackson Carter won Best Witness. 

On February 8, LRHS’s Mock Trial club competed for a second time at the Goldsboro Regional Competition. The team has been preparing for months, working with attorneys, practicing through scrimmages, and having countless meetings. 

LRHS took two teams to the competition, with 16 competing members ranging from freshmen to seniors. This opportunity will provide an unparalleled experience in the courtroom.

“Mock Trial has been such an eye-opening experience. It requires work but it’s so worth it, especially with building public speaking skills and crafting your ability to be persuasive,” said Ishika Verma, a senior on the team who will be acting as an attorney and witness at the competition. 

How the Team is Preparing

After try-outs were held in October, the two teams have been working on reading the 60-page rule and case documents. “Going through the document did seem overwhelming until you start realizing the purpose and reasoning behind the wording then it becomes less stressful,” said Verma.

To become familiar with the documents and trial procedures, the teams meet multiple times a month. Fortunately, the advisor Mrs. Horne is very involved in the club, and her fiance is a practicing attorney in North Carolina who has attended multiple meetings aiding the members of the club. 

Besides working with Mrs. Horne’s fiance, the club members were granted the opportunity to visit Piedmont Eastern Litigation to speak with more attorneys about career paths and get advice on the competition. 

“Going to the law firm was so fun. Seeing [the attorneys] opinions on evidence and opening/closing arguments was very helpful,” said Verma. 

Outside of discussions with attorneys, the club has held scrimmages against the two competing teams to practice their arguments. On Thursday, January 30, 2025, the team held their first scrimmage and their second on February 6, 2025 — two days before the competition. 

Sophie Corral, a sophomore, is competing as a plaintiff attorney. “Something that really helped me prepare was doing a scrimmage before the competition. You feel a lot less pressure… and they give you a great feel for how the competition will go,” said Corral. 

Mock Trial is one of the most immersing activities for those interested in law, “If anyone is interested in following a career in law, mock trial is definitely the thing for you. It’s also great for building confidence and public speaking skills,” said Corral. 

Because Mock Trial is so intensive members do a lot of work on their own time to review the documents and build their case, “I’ve been preparing for the upcoming competition by memorizing and going over my questions and closing statement every day using flashcards with my friends who are also on the team,” said Corral. 

While Mock Trial is a lot of work, the members feel satisfied with their experience. “Overall Mock Trial requires work but it’s so worth it,” said Verma. 

People participating in Mock Trial will leave the experience having gained knowledge, courtroom experience, and friendship. Anyone interested in law should seek out ways to participate in Mock Trial.