Mock Trial Team Celebrates Their Highest Finish Ever
For the first time in Milken’s history, the Mock Trial Team advanced to the third round of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Los Angeles Mock Trial competition, finishing in the top 24 teams.
Over 200 Los Angeles County high school teams participated in the Mock Trial competition held at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles. The team argued the case “The People vs. Klein,” a civil case with two charges: criminal threat and false emergency threat, before an L.A. County judge. Students participated as lawyers, witnesses, bailiffs, and court clerks, while gaining knowledge of the legal system.
The team prepared for the competition by meeting every Friday during lunch. Milken team leaders, captain and aspiring attorney, Alexandra Orbuch ’20, and Maya Grinstein ’20, who acted as the defense attorney, explained the preparation process. The team read through the facts and sworn testimonies of the witnesses to get a sense of the case and assigned roles. They guided the attorneys through writing openings, closings, direct examinations, and cross-examinations. Witnesses memorized the information in their witness statements.When each member was prepared, they convened as a team to discuss procedural details such as courtroom etiquette. The attorneys and witnesses also practiced direct examinations together.
Participating in the Mock Trial program helps students develop valuable analytical and communications skills. Faculty advisor Maxime Gibert acknowledged that it helps prepare students for college because there is an emphasis in college on oral presentations and public speaking. Orbuch, noted, “Mock Trial has not only taught me the formal aspects of a trial, but it has also given me insight into how to logically analyze data and facts and public speaking.” She added, “Having the opportunity to present cases before seasoned judges at a real courthouse as a high school student is incredible.”
Grinstein attributed this year’s team’s success to the members being on top of their work and completing it on time, knowing their witness roles, displaying increased confidence in the courtroom. She added they were also a tight-knit group. “Everyone was equally invested, and this led to much better results,” said Grinstein.
Even though the next competition is a year away, the team will continue to meet regularly with high hopes to advance even further. Congratulations to the team for a great job.
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