Introducing Mock Trial

"At the end of the day, the question is who can tell the better story," says mock trial coach Chris Harris. "Mock trial brings the elements of a classical education together - logic and rhetoric, not just for their own sake, but in order to pursue justice and virtue." This is the inaugural year of mock trial at Regents, which is a competition that simulates a real courtroom. Students break into teams to argue a real court case, practicing their skills in public speaking, debate and logic. The mock trial club had their first intrasquad competition in January. Later in the spring them will compete against other schools.

"I think for me, seeing the students develop confidence and courage in their position and being able to defend it with strong solid arguments is one of the most fun things," said Mr. Harris. "The passion I've seen in this first team has been outstanding, especially their ownership of the process. We just got our first competition case binder and by the next meeting, all the students had already read through it - their initiative is exciting. One of the greatest skills in life is the ability to communicate well, and mock trial really puts that to the test because it's a lot of pressure. You can feel it in the court room. But it is wonderful preparation for life where most of the competition we face is not on the athletic field, but in the mind. I am excited."