All rise! Woodbridge High Mock Trial is heading into their 2024 season. But what is Mock Trial and why would you want to join it?

Mock Trial is one of the several competitive clubs in Woodbridge High.

“It’s an academic sport that teams compete with a fictional case…in [a] simulated trial experience,” coach and former Mock Trial member Trent Larson said.

Mock Trial consists of several roles that each are crucial when in court, both in competition and in real life. The two main ones are an attorney and a witness. An attorney can be broken down into two general types: a pretrial attorney and a trial attorney. A pretrial attorney has the job of arguing over a motion presented by the defense over the constitutional rights of someone. The defense presents this motion, supporting it, and the prosecution argues against it.

“…you have to be…prepared to single out…very specific legal arguments from…a vast amount of resources, …effectively communicate your argument…[and be] a good writer,” Larson listed as what set of skills are best for a pretrial attorney.

Those who wish to be in control can find a total of six opportunities in Mock Trial A trial attorney runs most of the trial, interviewing witnesses of both the prosecution and the defense as well as giving statements to eventually convince the judge of their side’s argument. Despite all roles requiring memorization to be effective, a trial attorney requires the most, making those who find it easier to grasp onto ideas and recall them a good fit for this role.

“I like directing our witnesses…and really bringing out their personality as a character,” senior, captain and trial attorney Hailey Ferguson stated regarding why she loves being a trial attorney.

For those more interested in seeing things through a new lens, the Mock Trial cases are filled with various witnesses. Without witnesses, the verdict would be impossible to achieve. Witnesses can include the main ones, such as the defendant and the victim, character witnesses and expert witnesses. No matter the type, competitors have to truly indulge in their characters, whether it’s studying forensics for an expert witness or being an emotional victim.

“I think anybody can become a witness. Of course it takes practice, but I think anybody can get that,” sophomore and witness Mia Makaram stated. Even with Makaram just joining last year, she has got a role as the defendant in this season’s case, being an example that anyone is capable of being a proper witness.

When you join WHS Mock Trial, you can guarantee that you will receive the highest quality of coaching. Out of all of Orange County, Woodbridge High has set several records and leads in several categories.

“We’ve won the most county championships. We’ve gone to County the most amount of times…Woodbridge is also the most successful team at State for Orange County schools,” Larson highlighted.

Nonetheless, whether you’re guaranteed that you will try out next year for a pretrial attorney or you’re unsure if you want to do Mock Trial, the cherry on top is that Mock Trial requires no prior experience.