YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. WELCOME BACK. IT’S AN EXCITING WEEKEND FOR THOSE TAKING PART IN THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL FINALS. 230 STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE GATHERED AT THE BERNALILLO COUNTY METRO COURT TO SEE IF THEY HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. 16 TEAMS, EACH WITH 7 TO 14 STUDENTS, ARE GIVEN AN ARRAY OF CASES FROM CIVIL TO CRIMINAL. THEN THEY PRESENT THEIR CASE TO SEVERAL STATE AND FEDERAL COURT JUDGES WHO SCORE THEIR PERFORMANCE. THEY GET TO GO IN. THEY GET TO LEARN IT. THEY GET TO LEARN THE RULES OF EVIDENCE AND THE RULES OF THE COMPETITION. AND IT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF CAMARADERIE WITH THE REST OF THEIR TEAMS. THERE’S A LOT OF BONDING, AND IT’S REALLY EXCITING FOR THEM. THE TOP TEAM, ALONG WITH THE WINNING COURTROOM ARTIST AND
New Mexico teams make case for mock trial championship
Kristin Leeds, executive director of the Center For Civic Values, said the program educates students about the judicial system.
Sixteen high school teams competed Friday and Saturday in mock trials to see who will go to the championships in Des Moines, Iowa in May.The term “mock” is misleading, because the teams prepared for months for a competition with real-life consequences, overseen by attorneys and judges.Kristin Leeds, executive director of the Center For Civic Values, said the Mock Trial Program is a hands-on way for middle-and high school students to get an in-depth education in how the judicial system operates.”They learn advocacy, and critical thinking, time management, and they gain a lot of confidence to impress scoring in front of legal professionals and community supporters,” Leeds said. “There’s a lot of bonding, and it’s really exciting for them that they actually get to come into a courtroom and perform.” Teams have teacher coaches and a teacher sponsor, and most teams have an attorney coach who will talk to them about objections and the laws and courtroom procedure, Leeds said.”By the end of the day, it could be one school team, another school’s courtroom artist, and another school’s courtroom journalist, and they will make up Team New Mexico,” Leeds said.The Center For Civic Values, in its fourth year of running the mock trial program, is a nonprofit that gets some funding from the state legislature but depends on donations as well. More information about the program and how to make donations is available online at civicvalues.org.
Sixteen high school teams competed Friday and Saturday in mock trials to see who will go to the championships in Des Moines, Iowa in May.
The term “mock” is misleading, because the teams prepared for months for a competition with real-life consequences, overseen by attorneys and judges.
Kristin Leeds, executive director of the Center For Civic Values, said the Mock Trial Program is a hands-on way for middle-and high school students to get an in-depth education in how the judicial system operates.
“They learn advocacy, and critical thinking, time management, and they gain a lot of confidence to impress scoring in front of legal professionals and community supporters,” Leeds said. “There’s a lot of bonding, and it’s really exciting for them that they actually get to come into a courtroom and perform.”
Teams have teacher coaches and a teacher sponsor, and most teams have an attorney coach who will talk to them about objections and the laws and courtroom procedure, Leeds said.
“By the end of the day, it could be one school team, another school’s courtroom artist, and another school’s courtroom journalist, and they will make up Team New Mexico,” Leeds said.
The Center For Civic Values, in its fourth year of running the mock trial program, is a nonprofit that gets some funding from the state legislature but depends on donations as well. More information about the program and how to make donations is available online at civicvalues.org.
