An uncertified submersible trip gone wrong claims the life of billionaire Nano D’Sign, who leaves behind a holographic will. In a dramatic twist, there is a dispute over both the will’s legitimacy, and who the beneficiary is. The dispute heads to civil court, where the Aquatic Center for Exploration alleges they are the intended beneficiary of the will. Meanwhile, Alex Churn Eubanks alleges Nano was not in the right state of mind when he signed the will, and that even if the will is valid, that they are the intended beneficiary of Nano’s estate.
This was the complex case that students in schools across Texas were tasked with arguing for this year’s Mock Trial competition. For Creekview High School’s mock trial team, preparing for such a case requires months of teamwork and strategizing.
“Mock Trial is a very collaborative competition, it's almost like sports,” explained Sharon Oh, a senior on the team who has participated as an attorney over the past four years. “The attorneys make the questions, and the witnesses make the answers. So it's the same responsibility for a witness and the attorney to know the facts of the case forwards and backwards.”
By serving either as an attorney or as a witness, participating in mock trial has given each student an opportunity to experience something different.
“I got here my junior year and I was looking for something to keep me busy after school,” shared Angelica Mock, a senior who has been on the team for two years as a witness. “I was hooked instantly. I really liked it because I felt like it gave me a chance to perform and understand something that's much bigger than myself, because law is a really challenging subject.”
Through exposure to different circumstances and obstacles while presenting their arguments, the experience has taught these students how to quickly think and articulate their points.
“There was this one time where the judge was not understanding an impeachment I did,” recalled Sungmin Hong, a freshman attorney on the team. “There was a lot of back and forth between me and the other opposing attorney. I think the key for me was being confident, and that helped convince the judge that I was right and that he should rule in my favor.”
Brian Sheguit, Creekview’s CTE Law and Public Service teacher who oversees the team, emphasizes being able to navigate these challenges with confidence and composure.
“We have a motto: 'never let them see you sweat the courtroom',” shared Sheguit. “And that's what I always tell them. In every trial something will happen that you're not expecting; you can't let it completely throw you off.”
The Texas competition is one of several they participate in throughout the year, spending July through March participating in and preparing for competitions. They use each experience to uncover the team’s strengths and determine roles each member is best suited for during competitions.
“They travel all over the nation together. We usually start our competition year at Yale’s invitational tournament. They finished seventh in the nation there and then came back here to prepare for this year’s state competition,” recalled Sheguit. “During preparation, we also go to Baylor Law School and challenge teams from Austin, while also traveling across Dallas-Fort Worth for scrimmages throughout the year. They even traveled to Lubbock for another related invitational tournament.”
Extensive travel time has strengthened team bonds, fostering collaboration during preparation.
“I've been on a lot of teams in my life, and I've never been as close to a group of people than I’ve been with them,” shared Suzane Batada, a junior who has mostly participated as a witness on the team for the past two years. “I think the best thing about our team is the extremely close bond that we have.”
While the cases may be hypothetical, participating in mock trial has given these students tangible skills and abilities they can use beyond the courtroom.
“In situations where I have to advocate for myself, like to a teacher or a boss, I am able to stay calm and explain, ‘Hey, this is my side of the story, and here is what happened,’” shared Kelsea Hayes, a Junior who is in her third year of participating. “I've definitely learned how to speak up for myself.”
For Sheguit, their ability to quickly think and analyze is the greatest benefit of his students’ involvement in mock trial.
“You have to learn how to think on your feet, how to analyze a situation in real time and respond to it,” shared Sheguit. “That ability to go, ‘I can just stand here and analyze what's going on and respond to it and respond to it in an intelligent, effective way’ is invaluable regardless of what you do.”
Several on the team plan to continue their mock trial experience when they go to college, as they believe the experience helped set them apart on paper in college applications and in-person during admission interviews.
“I'm trying to go to the State Department and I plan to do mock trial throughout my college years,” shared Sophina Boychenko, a Senior on the team. “I think mock trial actually helped me get into my college of choice.”