When people think of Mock Trial, crime is generally the first idea that comes into their mind. Not to mention lawyers that are cynical and strict, giving out an intimidating vibe. Well known shows such as “Law & Order” and “How to Get Away with Murder” are definitely adequate examples of this. Brookfield Central’s Mock Trial is quite the contrary, with a collaborative and diligent team.

For those that are not completely aware, Mock Trial is a competitive extracurricular in which students are given a specific case to study and have to conduct a trial in a court-like setting, much like a lawyer would do. This year, the team is examining a case based on the Dakota Pipeline Protests.

Aparna Jayashankar (‘18) explained, “There’s a mining company called Dig Deep in the city of Clearwater, WI, outside which people protest because they don’t think it’s environmentally friendly. A protester was apparently seen damaging the hydraulics of the crusher, and now the company is suing the protester.” This is where Mock Trial steps in, playing the role of plaintiff and the defense, and building a solid case.

While this sounds like a task that requires a lot of previous knowledge on how the law works, the team unanimously agreed that there are no prerequisites required for joining.

Elianne del Campo (‘20) clarified, “As you go through the season, you learn techniques along the way”. At the end of the year, members said that they all came out with new improvements and skills that helped them strive outside of the club.

Tylan Farrokhnia (‘20) talked about his experience and recounted, “A lot of Mock Trial is the ability to dissect information and figure out what’s important for the argument you’re trying to make, so that can be applied anywhere in many aspects, especially in school”.

Del Campo extended this by emphasizing involvement in everyday life. “This improved my communication skills and reading skills, and also some of us might want to take up Law as a career when we get older. That’s what I want to do so this club helps me improve on my knowledge as well,” she said.

Mock Trial meets every Wednesday after school in Mr. Holm’s room. The team’s first scrimmage will be held at Brookfield Central, Dec. 16, 2017.