The JCHS Mock trial has been around since before its current club advisor Mr. McLaughin was himself a JCHS student from 2002-2006. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was one of the attorney coaches back in the day. From Mr. Mclaughin’s own words, “I’m proud to be a part of such a strong legacy at JCHS.”
To familiarize readers with JCHS’s Mock trial team, I, a member of the club for about two years, will break down what Mock Trial is.
Our JCHS’s Mock Trial advisor Mr. McLaughlin began as the club’s advisor in 2017 when he first started teaching at JCHS. However, Mr. Mclaughlin also has prior coaching experiences in Mendham Borough for 7 years.
Mock Trial is a club in which students take on the roles of real court positions that they might one day fill by arguing a given case. These experiences range from jury, witness, attorney, timekeeper, to court artist. The State Bar Foundation provides a fact pattern, witness affidavits, and relevant legal statutes to every high school. Next, each high school fills the necessary roles and hosts practices to make sure students know their role in the case and how to argue effectively. Witnesses and attorneys also learn how to defend their points using logic and careful responses to avoid falling into rhetorical traps laid by the opposition’s attorneys. Attorneys learn how to question witnesses to accentuate particular relevant information and discredit the opponent’s witness through strategic questioning. Lastly, high school teams compete against each other (plaintiff/prosecution vs. defense) in a county tournament with the winner decided by a judge. In this county, tournament schools are sent to the county’s courthouse where they are able to fully immerse themselves as if they were a part of a real court seen by an actual appointed judge.
JCHS’s Mock Trial always has the opportunity to go to the Veterans Courthouse (Newark’s Criminal Courthouse) and compete against all other Essex County High Schools. The judge appointed to each courtroom assesses each team’s ability via a rubric. Every year the cases alternate between civil and criminal cases. In May, there is a more informal event called Law Day. JCHS Mock Trial will host a judge who discusses questions brought to him or her by the audience. Sometimes, they preside over a Mock Trial acted out by the team.
This year’s Mock Trial is a civil case which is about a show dog who had allegedly died due to an at-home flea treatment product that came from a fake well-known company called Petizcon. The case is about the owner of this dead dog seeking compensation by suing the company to get her story out on how this so-called reputable company not only allegedly killed her dog, but is the cause of allegedly murdering many other house pets. It’s promoted as an anti-flea product, but after much research we have come to find out that this product kills everything in its sight.
This year’s Plaintiff team is made up of Sophia Basile and Izzy Raimondi who are the main attorneys. Natalie Reyes, Matthew Peralta, and Lucy Sandor are the leading witnesses.
This year’s Defense team is made up of Nora Scheid and Isaac Stern, who are the main attorneys, Benjamin Pedrazzi, Kyle Brown, and Sayde Lu were defense leading witnesses.
Our Coaches were advisor of Mock Trial and history teacher Evan McLaughlin and retired family attorney Joe Papasidero.
A special highlight goes to the three seniors Sophia Basile, Izzy Raimondi, and Natalie Reyes as this is the last year of being able to compete in high school mock trials.
Mock Trial is a great club because it allows students to make friends with other students from different social groups and interests. Everyone works together towards a common goal which helps build community and confidence. All students,regardless of interest in law,enjoy learning how to argue a point more persuasively, logically, and effectively- rather than just getting loud or using emotion. Sometimes students who are interested in law eventually work for the courts or a particular judge they met during Law Day. Personally, after meeting with the judge on Law Day I was able to intern my summer after freshman year with this judge in the Essex County Family Court, getting to sit in court trials, and see all the behind the scenes of how a courthouse runs and what it means to be a judge with an amazing team. I was fortunate enough to have involved myself in an amazing experience and meet wonderful people within my school and other schools while immersing myself in the role of real court.
Mock Trial is more than just a make-believe court experience; it’s about the opportunity to develop teamwork, critical thinking, and public speaking. These skills extend beyond the courtroom and are valuable for the future.
From the wonderful words of JCHS’s amazing Mock Trial Advisor Mr. McLaughlin himself, “Mock Trial is a great club that helps students with whatever their future holds!”
