The MIHS Mock Trial team went to Chicago to compete in an international mock trial tournament from Sept. 22-24.
The student-led team worked extensively in preparation for the event, starting off by selecting the teams through auditions evaluated by team captains.
“We had about 19 people [auditioning] and then from there, we had to choose eight other people, besides us [four team captains] to go to the competition,” senior captain Elena Lill said.
After a month and a half of preparation for the case, the team headed to Chicago where they performed and argued against other teams.
“In Chicago, our plaintiff team went against another team’s defense, and then our defense went against another team’s plaintiff,” Lill said. “We essentially did a whole trial with speeches, and with direct examinations and cross examinations, and witnesses and then the judge scored us based on points, and that determined who [won].”
The team learned a lot in the process of the event, and the defense team won their two trials. Team Captain Ashwin Krishnaswamy won the 1st place Outstanding Witness award. Krishnaswamy was surprised to win, as there were around 200 other student witnesses whom he beat.
“Being a witness is like an acting role. The case was a shooting instructor that accidentally shot the student in the knee, and so I was the gun expert who was testifying that the gun was actually defective, and it wasn’t the instructor’s fault,” Krishnaswamy said. “I think I won because I had really good character.”
The Mock Trial team is very proud of their performance. With lots of new incoming members this year, they are excited to start the upcoming season with big goals.
“We definitely want to make it to state again this year, since we got fifth in state last year, we want to get at least above that,” Lill said. “I think that we can actually do it, we’re looking really, really strong for [this] year.”
If you’re interested in joining Mock Trial, the first meeting is on Oct. 5, and the club meets after school every Thursday in the LPR.
