From Courtroom to Classroom: New Attorney Impacts Future Legal LeadersAs High School Mock Trial Team Coach

As a new attorney, I’m always eager to find ways to give back to the community and make a positive impact. So, when I heard that the San Diego County High School Mock Trial Program was seeking attorney coaches, I jumped at the opportunity. Little did I know, this experience would be one of the most rewarding of my legal career.

I was assigned to coach San Marcos High School’s first mock trial team with veteran mock trial attorney coach, Lisa Hird Chung. “Coach Lisa,” as the students called her, practices employment law in San Diego and has participated in mock trial since she was a high school student. Also assisting the team was high school English teacher and debate coach Nicole Brown, and attorney turned government teacher Joshua Crouse.

From the very beginning, I could sense the excitement and energy of the students. As none of them had ever participated in mock trial before, they were eager to learn, especially senior Britney Chen, who founded the team and aspires to be a patent attorney.

“I started the mock trial team at my school because I wanted to take this opportunity to see if being a lawyer is the right fit for me,” Chen says. “Coming from a family of engineers, I had no idea how the legal profession actually worked, so this seemed like a perfect, low-stake way to try it out before committing to it as an adult.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of coaching San Marcos High School’s first mock trial team was witnessing the growth of the students. Throughout the season, I watched as they became more confident, articulate, and knowledgeable about the legal system. It was truly inspiring to see them develop into effective advocates and leaders.

Another aspect of coaching San Marcos High School’s first mock trial team that I found particularly rewarding was the opportunity to make a positive impact in the community. The mock trial competitions were held in real courtrooms, with real judges and attorneys presiding over the trials. The students learned about the justice system and the role it plays in society. They gained an understanding of the social, political, and legal issues that affect their communities.

Chen says advocating in court made her feel nervous, but it was exciting. “Mock trial practice definitely helped me get over my fear of public speaking,” she says, “But my first experience speaking in front of a judge was still very intimidating.”

One of the challenges of coaching a new mock trial team was balancing the technical aspects of the law with the students’ limited understanding of legal concepts. However, I quickly learned that the most effective way to teach the students was through hands-on experience. The students learned by doing, and I was constantly impressed by their ability to grasp complex legal concepts and apply them to everything from the OJ Simpson murder trial to Taylor Swift to Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

“Practicing with the team was really fun,” Chen says. “The harder we worked during practice, the more fulfilled I felt when I went home at the end of the day. Sometimes, I would imagine a movie montage being shot while we were busy preparing for our competition.”

Perhaps one of the most unexpected benefits of coaching San Marcos High School’s first mock trial team was the sense of community that developed among the students. San Marcos is a large high school with about 3,000 students, so at the beginning, many of the students on the team were strangers. But during the season, they worked together as a team, supporting and encouraging each other and they developed a camaraderie that was truly inspiring to witness.

Chen, who attended school overseas for a few years, says she hoped to make some new friends from mock trial, and she did. “Everyone on the team was very hardworking and collaborative,” she says, “So I made many friends along the way.”

As the season came to a close, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. The students had worked tirelessly to prepare for the competitions, and their hard work paid off. They gave compelling opening statements, asked insightful questions during cross-examination, and delivered powerful closing arguments. It was truly an honor to watch them in action – even if it made me nervous to be downtown at night with 11 teenagers. (I was constantly counting them when we traveled from the bus to the courthouse to the elevator to make sure none were lost.)

Chen, who along with co-counselors Mahak Rathi and Anne Sun earned MVP honors during the competition, says she learned a lot about our justice system, especially how it is more structured than she had imagined.

“Each trial had its order of presentation already mapped out and the attorneys and witnesses had a limited scope of things they could ask or say,” she says. “I learned that it was, in fact, nothing like the movies.”

Coaching San Marcos High School’s first mock trial team was an incredible experience that I will never forget. It taught the students the importance of effective communication, strategy, and critical thinking. And, it allowed me to share my knowledge and experience with the next generation of legal professionals, especially Chen, who says she definitely still wants to be an attorney.

“After completing my first mock trial season, I was very sure that this is what I want to do in the future,” she says. “Cracking a case and being able to argue for my client in court filled me with a sense of excitement and fulfillment similar to when I try to solve a riddle. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the process and am sure that this is something I want to continue in college and in my future career.”

If you would like to participate in next year’s San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition, visit www.sdmocktrial.org.