Students from several high schools take part in a mock trial competition, learning a bit about the law
as they go.
LEWISTON – Coach Joan Macri was confident her team could handle anything that came its way in Tuesday’s regional mock trial competition.
Her students were prepared. They were quick on their feet, poised and well-spoken.
But how would they handle down time?
“I just don’t want them sitting around here getting nervous,” Macri said.
Seven area high schools – Edward Little, Oxford Hills, Freeport, Leavitt, Rangeley, Winthrop and Lewiston – sent teams to the competition at Lewiston High School, one of three schools around Maine that hosted the events Tuesday.
Each team took turns presenting a side of the case before the judges, gaining or losing points for their opening and closing arguments and witness examinations. Then they switched sides, swapped judges and started over.
The case was the same for every team, and will be the same all the way through the finals. It tells the story of two lobster fisherman whose rivalry culminates in a punch in the nose and a sunken fishing skiff.
Students fill the roles of the rival fisherman, witnesses and prosecutors and defense attorneys. Local lawyers and members of the state Bar Association volunteer as judges for the competition, keeping each mock trial moving along and rating the students on their performance.
“This is an invaluable experience for these kids,” said local attorney Rob Hoy, an adviser to the Lewiston team. “Above all else, it teaches them to think on their feet. It teaches them skills that most kids don’t really get.”
Edward Little coach Cynthia Peters agreed. The teams practice hard, learning about the law and about themselves.
“They also dress up, and that never hurts a kid,” Peters said. “It’s nice every once in a while to get dressed up, act poised and speak properly.”
It’s an opportunity few get, said lawyer Ben Gideon, one of the judges.
“As a lawyer, I’ve taken part in seminars and been evaluated by other judges and senior partners,” Gideon said. “But that doesn’t happen often. Sometimes, you speak and you don’t get the specific feedback on what was successful and what wasn’t.”
Scores and results were kept secret until the very end, said Macri, the Lewiston team’s coach.
After the morning round ended, her team faced the one from Leavitt Area High School in Turner. Edward Little, which faced Leavitt in the morning round, faced Oxford Hills in the noon round.
Winners from the day’s regional contests will go on to quarterfinal rounds on Dec. 1, followed by the semifinals on Dec. 8 and the final round on Dec. 16.
Comments are no longer available on this story