Every year students from the legal studies career tech get the opportunity to compete in mock trials.
Around mid-September, a case is released from the competition committee, Ohio Center for Law-Related Education. Immediately students start to prepare their case for the trial. Students learn the facts of the case through the provided witness affidavits, exam exhibits, evidence, and study past court decisions to apply to their argument. Each student gets assigned to a team and to a role as either a witness or an attorney. For the next two months, each team works with a legal advisor, local attorneys, judges, or law school students, to perfect their roles and arguments.
This year the district competition was held on Friday, January 30. The first round was held at the Canton Municipal Courthouse. Students argue their case as an attorney or testify as a witness in front of a three-judge panel. Each round of the trial uses the same case, but the competition gets harder. There are three different rounds with the hopes of earning a spot at the state competition. There was one team that advanced to the regional competition this year. The legal advisor for this team is Judge Natalie Haupt. The team consists of 10 students.
Students this year competed at a very high level for district competition. They competed in six different trials; three for the prosecution and three for the defense. Students this year won three Outstanding Witness Awards and five Outstanding Attorney Awards! As well as being declared the winner in three trials. One of the three teams advanced to the regional competition which will be held this coming February 20 at the Summit County courthouse.
Mrs. Miller, the teacher of the Legal Studies career tech program, has had her students compete in these mock trials since 2011. Since that time they have made it to regionals in 2014, 2015, and then every year since 2017! They have even gone to the state competition twice.
Campbell Haupt, a senior in the program, received the outstanding witness award this year, after her group competed. She very much recommends this experience to other students, especially to upcoming sophomores.
“It’s a great opportunity to see how a court room takes place and how everything goes during a case,” explained Haupt.
Campbell’s task as a witness was to memorize the testimony she was given as well as come up with questions for her attorneys to ask her, during the competition. Everyone that competed was rated how well they performed during the mock trial. Haupt and her group performed very well and they are now advancing to regionals.
Teams arrive that day around 12 o’clock in the morning to wait their turn. Everyone dresses very professionally and according to the role they play. The mock trial usually lasts all day, with the award ceremony at 6 o’clock.
Haupt shared she has learned a lot from getting this experience, with getting to work in a court room and learn about different cases from the past.
“I got expert opinions from judges and other people in legal professions helping me decide what I want to do with my future,” states Haupt.
During the Mock Trial, some students work alongside the witnesses as defense attorneys. Defense attorneys give a prepared opening statement and direct the witness they are defending. They also ask prepared cross questions for witnesses on the other team. To prepare for the trial, Lake students write and practice their statements and questions for 1-2 periods. Outside of school, the students have multiple practices where they go through the full trial with the witnesses. The way students prepare, write, and memorize information is key to a successful trial. However, students also have to be able to think quickly to come up with new questions and statements based on what the other team says during the trial.
AJ Wood was one of the many Lake students to receive the Outstanding Attorney award.
Wood explained that all students dress professionally for the trial, wearing outfits like a suit and tie with dress shoes. When the students arrive at the court house they are directed to the council chambers to practice and prepare. The first trial started around 1 pm and the students watched other teams’ trials until it was their turn to go. After the trials ended, the students attended an award ceremony where they found out what they received.
“I learned public speaking skills, improvisation skills, critical thinking, responsibility, and memorization,” said Wood on his experience with the mock trial.
This year, Lake students competed in 6 trials, 3 of the trials were for the prosecution and 3 were for defense. Mrs. Miller thinks her students competed at a high level for the district competition. Lake received 3 Outstanding Witness awards and 5 Outstanding Attorney awards. Overall, Lake won three trials and came very close to winning a fourth. The team has advanced to Regionals which will take place in late February.
Similarly, students have done well in the past. Lake started participating in this competition in 2011, and has made many accomplishments over their years of participation. Lake made it to regionals in 2014, 2015, and continuously every year since 2017. Lake has made it to the state level of the competition twice, most recently in 2024.
