The WFS Mock Trial team has won the 2021 State Championships! This year’s championship was especially difficult, as the new virtual setting had a different set of challenges than everyone is used to. Claire Manning ‘22 was worried about the virtual setting of the trial. “At the start of our virtual mock trial practices, I was extremely pessimistic about how effectively everyone would work on Zoom. There is something so invigorating about sitting in one room at bouncing case theories and questions off of each other, and since we were not able to meet in person this year, I was worried that our team would not have the polish you see of a winning team.” She is glad to see that she was proven wrong, and that the team was able to get past the technological setbacks. 

Elissa Belleroche, a senior and one of the captains of the team, also spoke on these challenges. “We had to reorganize the way we held practices to suit our new platform on Zoom, and we had to find ways of communicating with team members virtually.” Elissa and the other captains had been on the team since they were freshmen, so they were committed to ending on a high note. Despite the thrill of winning the State Championship, the team has to celebrate quickly; Nationals are coming!

Every year Mock Trial alternates between a civil case and a criminal case. This year’s Mock Trial was a civil case; the issue was between an insurance company called Lilienthal Insurance Inc. and a property manager at a Natural Habitat Preserve named Stacey Earhart. One day, Stacey was flying a drone around the Preserve, and it seriously injured a member of the local Wilmington Hunt Club who was trespassing on the Preserve’s land at the time. The issue of the case was whether or not Lilienthal Insurance should cover the costs of the accident.  

Here, the insurance company declined to pay, as they thought it was Stacey Earhart’s fault for flying the drone dangerously, so it violated the terms of their contract. “What makes this case special is that the plaintiff – the insurance company – has to prove that the contract was violated,” said Jack Hebert ‘23. This is called the preponderance of the evidence. “In this case, the insurance company had to prove that Stacey Earhart intentionally flew the drone too close to Steven DuPont, that the drone was altered enough to give it material modifications, or that it was unairworthy and in violation of the contract.” The team doesn’t know the case for Nationals yet; they’ll only have a month and a half to prepare for the trial in May.

The roles for the team are selected by the two coaches for the club. They are actual lawyers who volunteer to help organize and help with the Mock Trial. When the students first audition for the team, they have to fill out a form to state their preference – either a lawyer or a witness. After seeing everyone’s audition and their preference, the coaches decide who makes the team and whether they are a better fit as a lawyer or witness. “They might assess qualities like someone’s acting ability, assertiveness, and public speaking skills to make their decision,” Elissa Belleroche said. Though it may be a shame if you don’t get the option you chose, the coaches have your best interest in mind, as they might think you’re a better lawyer than a witness. The judges might think so as well; a vote takes place among them at the end of each round, for the Best Lawyer and Best Witness. Regardless of whether your team wins or loses, you can still win a Gavel, which is the prize that comes from being voted best lawyer or witness.

Even through COVID-19, the Upper School Mock Trial Team has gotten past many setbacks and won the State Championships! Now that you know how much work is put into Mock Trial, wish the team luck as they prepare for Nationals!