When we first joined CC, I knew I wanted Amelia to participate in Mock Trial during her Challenge B year. Fondly remembering my own high school Mock Trial experience, I definitely wanted Amelia to take advantage of this unique opportunity. This past semester, Mock Trial was a major strand and her class worked their tooshies off in anticipation for their first Mock Trial challenge. Their case was Zillias vs. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Honestly, it was impressive to watch them prepare. They did so by working all angles as both defense and prosecution. For their 'mock' Mock Trial challenge, where they competed against themselves, Amelia served as both prosecution and defense attorney. She gave both opening statements and did a cross examination as well as a direct examination.
On the day of her 'mock' Mock Trial, Amelia's lead teacher brought in an attorney to serve as judge and filled the pseudo courtroom with parents and spectators. While the kiddos did a fine job for their first run through, they were all nervous and rough around the edges. After receiving positive yet constructive feedback from the judge/attorney, they all spent the next week fine tuning their roles. When all was said and done, Cassie, Amelia's lead teacher, assigned students their final roles for their 'challenge' Mock Trial. Amelia earned a role as defense attorney, was assigned opening statement, and received a direct examination.
In the 'challenge' Mock Trial, our CC campus competed against another CC campus. This time Cassie brought in a Creighton law student to serve as judge and she did a wonderful job. There was a noticeable difference in performance from the first 'mock' Mock Trial to the second 'challenge' Mock Trial. Although both sides started off slow, they managed to look polished and put together. Because this experience includes both sides serving as both prosecution and defense, thus running though the entire trial two times, Amelia had the benefit of watching her prosecution team go first, as the defense team went second.
Once it was the defense team's turn, Amelia had her chance to really embrace her role as defense attorney. She did an awesome job giving opening remarks and really commanded the room when it was her turn for direct examination. Also, she was one of the few brave enough to offer objections and once she got started with objections she really drove the objections home.
Once the trial had been completed twice the acting judge announced who she ruled in favor of. Sometimes it's a tie and sometimes there is a clear winner. In this case, the acting judge ruled that our prosecution had won as well as our defense. That's not to say it was easy, because the other team was definitely well prepared.
Amelia loved the whole experience. However, at the end of the challenge trial the acting judge pulled Amelia aside and said she had a future as a layer. Not being one to pass up flattery, Amelia now fancies law as a possible future career path.
Several things I want to remember. During the second recess, Shane approached the judge to let her know what a great job she was doing. Being cordial, she asked who his child was. When he told her, she showed him a note she had written on her note pad about Amelia. It said...'lawyer family'. Also, after letting Uncle Taylor, a corporate lawyer, know Amelia was participating in mock trial, Taylor told Shane..."don't let your kids become lawyers"...and..."do I look happy."
