The Michigan State Mock Trial Competition

As Leah's team had advanced after winning the County finals to the State finals, I drove ugly early this morning to Lansing and the Ingham County Circuit Court Courthouse for the State-level competition.

Leah's team had both a Plaintiff and Defense team and she was on the Varsity Plaintiff team.  Leah gave a great opening, did a solid direct and cross examination and all the kids on her team did a fine job indeed. The Junior Varsity Team also made it to the state finals and did very well too.

We then watched the Varsity Defense side team battle another team's Plaintiff side.

It was a fun fact pattern that had a few annoying holes but was designed to be able to be argued either way.   I believe the fact pattern was weighted a bit towards defense-side but was a fun one to work with, but it had an error regarding one of the exhibits in that it, per the rules of evidence, couldn't be admitted by either side with the way the fact pattern and witnesses were arranged - the fact pattern was missing a witness that could get it admitted.

I had ordered in pizzas for the team so we had that for lunch as we waited for the initial results after the end of the second round.

Unfortunately, both the Varsity and JV team failed to advance to the semi-finals, but I'm very proud of their effort, and that they won the county level and they got this far.

That's the last high school competition for 6 of them as they graduate and go on to bigger and better things.

Darn good bunch of kids.

The Kids Are Alright

Drove out to Grand Rapids (on the west side of the state about 2 hours and a bit away) to spend the day at the High School Mock Trial Competition.

Why all the way to Grand Rapids?  Because the closer competition got shut down last Saturday due to the snowstorm and this was the only location where they could go. Oh, and we had to be there by 7:30 a.m.

Add to the fun of the extra distance  that this week, unlike last Saturday, over half of their team had to take their SATs today and they were a little behind the 8 ball.  Not a single senior was able to attend, and for many this would be their first competition.

Oh, and their designated teacher couldn't make it either and it was beginning to look a little grim as to whether they could even qualify to go as a result.

Leah decided that they were not going to give up but that they were going to compete and set about making it happen.

To make this work, Leah contacted the Grand Rapids Section, and then had me set up as the designated coach so the team could attend, they put together the pickup team and off we went. So, I got to wear a badge with the Teacher's name crossed out and my name hand-written in, so I was very official-looking.

The Mock Trial Competition staff in Grand Rapids were great - they graciously accommodated getting our team into the competition due to the weather cancel and they did a fantastic job running the competition. It was very, very well run.

For a pickup team, with some of them having to learn their parts in hours, not the days or weeks that everyone else had, they did really, really well.

Teams have to supply timekeepers, witnesses, and attorneys.

You could tell our team took it seriously.  Our witnesses had their parts and the complex set of facts down pat.  Two of them ran circles around opposing attorneys cross-examining them and had us in stitches at times with how well they were doing and how into their parts they got, even putting on accents and mannerisms to match the roles.

People that had to step into parts in a matter of a couple days put in the work and turned in some impressive performances.

Our Prosecution team went first round and it was kinda rough as some had just gotten their part two days (or less) before today, and it had two freshmen competing for the first time.  Still they put on an excellent effort and did the school proud.

Leah was on the Defense team and was in the second round. She and the team did really well, losing the round by a single point.  It was darn close.

Then Leah had to fill in a spot in the third round on the Prosecution side and had 12 minutes to prepare for her part over lunch, and she did it with style.  She really got into the part and dominated the opposing side's witnesses, including catching one who contradicted their affidavit allowing her to utter the classic line: "Were you lying then or are you lying now?".

I wanted to stand up and cheer - sadly as the coach, I had to remain silent during the round. 

The other teams thought our team were seniors and were dumbfounded to learn that the top players were juniors along with some sophomores and freshies.

The other teams also put on some excellent performances, and everyone really put in a lot of effort and it showed - a bunch of serious, studious, and also fun-having, well-mannered kids.  

So yeah, the kids are alright.

While Leah's school didn't advance to the State Finals this year, they put on a fantastic effort and this team is only going to get better. I think they would have made it had the full team been there as originally planned.

Next season for Leah's high school, I will be their official coach and involved in getting ready from Day 1, and we're going to really whip them into shape and start training on hearsay and evidentiary foundations early and often.

A Chip Off The Ol' Block

Leah as a high school freshman decided to try out this year for the school's mock trial team.

She made the junior varsity team and in her first competition, a regional one that feeds into the state competition.  She totally crushed it, on the prosecution side, on Zoom, no less.

Her team of 4 (two on prosecution, 2 on defense) drew an honorable mentions at the regional and then got slotted as a wildcard entry for the State Mock Trial competition, and was notified they got the slot six days ago for the competition being held today on Zoom.

Did I mention she also had to do half of the Defense team side as well for this competition as one of the Defendant team members dropped out, and learn and prep for it it in less than 6 days?

As such, she's been up today since 6:30 am, ensconced in the home office all to herself with the door securely shut and without direct contact except for food, water, and tea deliveries per the rules to prevent any hint of impropriety or assistance.

We've been watching her on Zoom on mute from another room.  Occasionally even yelling at the screen at the judges for bad evidentiary rulings - ok, well,  that may have been just me.  

She's absolutely fearless and had one opponent in an initial round giving up completely on his objections in the face of her responses.

She did her 2 initial rounds, one on the prosecution side, one on the defense side and then her team advanced to the semifinals, so she was one of the top 4 teams in the state. 

In the semi-finals, her team came in either 3rd or 4th in the state (we're still waiting on the official scoring), which is the farthest in the state competitions that her high school has even gone, and not bad at all for a first time competitor and her team. 

She's finally able to be out of the room, 12 hours later, totally exhausted, but is going to watch the final round.

The kid is fast-thinking on her feet, and can deliver excellent direct and withering cross examinations. She's also getting bumped up to the varsity Mock Trial team as a sophomore next year as she did so well this year. 

Much parental pride here.