By: Kelsey Blum –

Mock Trial Club is for those who enjoy solving  problems and presenting them in front of others. Joining Mock Trial can give you a better understanding on why laws are the way they are, and what it is like to present information in front of a judge.

Junior Sam Province recently joined Mock trial club. Even though he hasn’t been in it for very long, he is already enjoying it.

“Mock Trial is exactly what you expect it to be. Mock Trial is three attorneys, and three witnesses going up against another team based on a problem that is set on that we have a decent amount of time to work on. I just got started with mock trial a little bit ago. Mock trial takes place everywhere around the country where they have the funding to do it. There are only one or two tournaments a year just because it requires so much time and effort to do. It’s pretty difficult to get more than one or two tournaments in.”

Mock Trials are taken very seriously because there are only so many of them. They can help students decide if a career in law is best for them because that is what mock trials are all about. Mock trials are about solving cases in a court setting in a short amount of time.

“[In order to join] You go and see Mrs. Graff towards the beginning of the year where you can go and talk to her about joining the mock trial team, and then her and her husband can help get you set up to be on the team. I signed up for mock trial because I wanted to get the experience in terms of public speaking because I have interest in the subject material. Even if I don’t want to become a lawyer, law is very interesting,” said Province.

A lot of time and effort is put into a mock trial on behalf of both students and sponsors. English teacher and attorney Johnna Graff has helped with Mock Trial for several years now, and enjoys helping students create and perform convincing arguments.  

“I am an attorney which means I am direct cross examining witnesses, and arguing for my side to try and prove our area of the problem,” said Province. Mrs. Graff runs Mock Trial with the help of her husband.

“It’s definitely [worth my time], it’s a good way to learn how to speak, speak well, and make a lot of friends. I recommend it,” Province said. “Someone who joins mock trial will be able to more effectively convey their thoughts into tangible sentences that you can understand, and on top of that you gain a better understanding of the legal system.”

Mock trial can leave a positive effect on someone because it can improve their logical reasoning and public speaking skills. Additionally,it helps you understand why a law was made, and why it was made that way. In order to have a successful trial, everyone has to work together because an attorney has to know every little detail in order to provide correct evidence to the judge and jury.

“Everyone with an interest in law should sign up for mock trial,” said Province. “The clubs biggest selling point is the other kids on the team. My teammates on my trial are the absolute best in Speech and Debate. The other people are sometimes nice to hang around. Join it’s [mock trial] is a lot of fun!”