The Mock Trial teams at Kingswood Oxford school are on the case

Written by Roger Desmond

Each year Mock Trial Team students at Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford argue a legal case to compete with other teams in front of real judges. The competition represents months of work because each student team must argue against both sides of a case (prosecution and defense) as attorneys and witnesses.

Faculty advisor Rachel Heffner-Burns with some members of the team: Ishaan Bafna, Kate Dempsey-Weiner, Jahnvi Modi, Camila Conti, and Zoha Shamsi. Photo by Roger Desmond

This year’s case, while modeled after a real one, uses elements from a real case that can be argued from both sides, so students must work very hard to master every element of the proceedings. The case involves a drug overdose where a man is accused of the allegedly accidental murder of a female co-worker by leaving opioids in a place where they could be easily found.

According to faculty advisor Rachel Heffner-Burns, “team members must know facts from memory, frame follow up questions, apply legal theory and think on their feet in the moment.” She added that “The trial takes place in a real courtroom in front of real judges.”

Kingswood Oxford sponsored two teams this year: A veteran team made up mostly of members with experience in earlier years and a novice team made up of primarily students competing for the first time. All prospective students must apply and qualify to be granted membership in Mock Trial.

Once on board, members from Kingswood 0xford meet once per week and sometimes on weekends. They do not gain class credit toward graduation. This is a voluntary group experience.

What they do gain is confidence. “When I came to KO and discovered the Mock Trial team, it felt like the perfect opportunity,” said team member Zoha Shamsi. She is a first-year student and this is her first time participating. “Being a part of Mock Trial has been an experience I truly love because it has taught me confidence, quick and creative thinking, and the importance of collaboration.”

According to faculty advisor Rachel Heffner-Burns, “team members must know facts from memory, frame follow up questions, apply legal theory and think on their feet in the moment.” She added that “The trial takes place in a real courtroom in front of real judges.” Courtesy photo

Self confidence in public speaking is an outcome for many participants: Mock trials have improved my public speaking, to be quick on my feet and to use the cards you are dealt,” said team member Kate Dempsy-Warner. She is a senior and a three-year veteran of the program.

Some of the challenges of Mock Trials go beyond public speaking. They include memory, judgements about strategies, critical listening and a good deal of other skills. Each team will prepare both a prosecution and a defense. Team members must craft witnesses and use attorneys while knowing that they also will face cross-examination by opposing teams. “The ability to answer difficult questions is one outcome of the Mock court experience,” first year student Camila Conti explained.

Besides confidence, team members gather a lot of legal knowledge. “You gain knowledge of the court system and the need for preparation. Witnesses are sometimes challenging. Some witnesses will go on and on while others give clear testimony,” explained veteran Mock Trial member and team captain senior Ishaan Bafna.

Advisor Hefner-Burns compares some aspects of building a case to storytelling such as a stand-up comedian or mystery writer would. “So much of how cases are won or lost depends on the way you frame a question, the way you answer it and the way you communicate a story,” she said.

The Kingswood Oxford teams experienced a successful start in this year’s competition in December. The veteran teams won (both the prosecution and the defense) against Fairfield Warde School and West Haven High School. The defense lawyers and witnesses of the novice team won against Notre Dame high school, a remarkable feat by students who had no previous courtroom experience.

In the second round in February, the team lost the first trial and tied the second. This means that this year, they will not move on to a final round of competition. But as Heffner-Burns expressed, “We are proud of our performance this year and are looking ahead to implementing what we've learned and returning stronger and even better prepared for next year.”

Beyond scores and competition there is another benefit. Several Mock Trial members expressed interest in careers in the legal profession. “Ever since I was around ten years old, I’ve wanted to become an attorney,” Zoha said. “When I came to KO and discovered the Mock Trial team, it felt like the perfect opportunity. Mock Trial has been an invaluable steppingstone toward a future career in law, and I fully intend to continue participating in the years to come.”

Freshman Robert (Bobby) Doubleday is also excited about the likelihood of a career in law: “Mock trial has been a very valuable experience for me. Originally when I decided to join the activity at Kingswood Oxford, I was on the fence about it, but I persevered through my nervousness. I’m so grateful that I did because it taught me so much about myself. Before this experience, I did not know that I had an interest in law.”

There is also a place for journalism within the Mock Trial Contests. Student journalists compete by covering their school’s Mock Trials. They assume the perspective of a court reporter and observe the trial and other procedures. Then they submit articles for a competition and publication. Because real judges and lawyers decide outcomes, students gain insight into the fourth estate. 

In the end, although athletics provides an extracurricular way to achieve excellence, the Mock Court at Kingswood Oxford and at other schools invites students to give their best in another direction. WHL