The Agoura High School Mock Trial Team competed in the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition this month. They participated in a total of three trials over the first three weeks of November. The team has been preparing for this competition for the past two months. They have attended numerous lunchtime meetings and weekend scrimmages in preparation for the competitions.
The early competition this year came as a surprise when the team found out that they would be competing in Los Angeles County instead of Ventura County. As the Ventura County competition is in February, the amount of time that they had to prepare was cut short. In just two months, they needed to ensure that they could be the best team possible. The captains – Kennedy Iino, Samantha Tolila, and Laith Ameri – put in so much work to help all members of the team achieve their full potential. Additionally, their advisor (Our school librarian Mrs. Smart) was an immense help.
The way that the Mock Trial competition works is that teams are sent a case packet at the beginning of September. In the packet is everything needed for the competition: witness statements, important cases that set precedents, objections, stipulations, and the fact situation. Based on only these materials, team attorneys must develop direct and cross-examinations for their assigned witnesses. The team members acting as witnesses must memorize their statements and respond to direct and cross-examinations during the trial.
Although the team did not advance to the semi-finals in December, their hard work paid off. Samantha Tolila, one of this year’s captains, said, “I’m genuinely immensely proud of our team this year and how much they’ve all grown in such a little time. No matter the hurdle of having to change counties to compete and the time being cut off so drastically, everyone truly brought out their a-game. Honestly, the fact that our team placed in the top 9 teams of 116 shows the true dedication and work everyone put in this year”.
This team’s performance is a testament to their hard work and dedication, as they placed significantly higher in this year’s competition than they did last year. Despite the unexpected early competition and reduced practice time, they rose to the occasion and were placed amongst some of the best schools in the county.
The Mock Trial competition allows students interested in law to get an idea of what it is like to be in a courtroom. They are able to get feedback from actual trial attorneys and judges who have been practicing law for years. As the team reflects on the successes of this year, they are already looking for ways to improve, individually and as a team. They will continue to practice and become more advanced throughout this school year.
