Guest post by Sarah McCrea, Higher Academics Summer School Intern
This summer, Higher Academics Summer School (HASS) had the pleasure of working with Christian & Small attorneys Jim Carlson and Keren McElvy to prepare our scholars for their annual mock trial. Our students worked tirelessly alongside their coaches to argue their case in defense of a police officer who had been accused of using excessive force against a teenager in a department store and who was being sued by that teenager for damages.
Each HASS student played a role in the trial: the Christian & Small team consisted of three students who portrayed lawyers, two who portrayed supporting witnesses, and one who portrayed the leading witness — the police officer. The opposing team was coached by attorneys David Owen and Tiffany deGruy from Bradley Arant Boult Cummings and presented their case in favor of the teenager allegedly abused by the police.
Prior to the final mock trial presentation, each of our students had to prepare his or her portion of the case as real attorneys and witnesses would. Our “attorneys” brainstormed questions to ask their witnesses on direct and cross examination while our “witnesses” became so familiar with their statements that they were second nature. Mr. Carlson and Ms. McElvy generously took time out of their schedules twice a week for two weeks to meet with our scholars and aid them in preparing questions, arguments, and testimonies.
Working with Christian & Small on their mock trial case was incredibly meaningful to our scholars; continue reading to see, in their own words, what our students took away from this experience:
- “I was super nervous for mock trial, but I learned to be calm and that it’s okay to be nervous because it shows that you care. Mock trial has inspired me more to become a lawyer and taught me techniques that I can use in case I do achieve my dream.” – Xavier Turner, 10th Grade, Sumter Central High School
- “I liked mock trial a lot. It taught me to stay focused and to be prepared for anything that comes up. I’ll use these skills in life as I get older.” – India Woodard, 10th Grade, Demopolis High School
- “Mock trial was a great experience. Even though I am a four-year veteran of mock trial, I learn something new every year. This year, I really improved my public speaking skills, and I feel that I will continue to use these skills in my life and career.” – Xavius Gowdy, 12th Grade, Sumter Central High School
- “This is my second year in mock trial and, this year, it gave me the opportunity to learn about different objections and procedures in the court room and that’s going to help me a lot because I want to become an assistant district attorney one day.” – Jaleel Washington, 11th Grade, Sumter Central High School
- “My experience with mock trial was great because we got to learn new things about the law and how it applies to our daily lives. I also learned public speaking during mock trial and how to communicate through your presence, body language, and tone of voice. In the future, I will apply this mock trial experience if I choose to pursue a career in law.” – Leanza Price, 11th Grade, Sumter Central High School
- “I really enjoyed mock trial; it was a wonderful experience. It really helped me come out of my shell, associate more, and learn how to cooperate with other people as a team. It also helped me to look at things from a different perspective and remember that there are two sides of every story, that everyone has their own opinion, and that we need to value everyone’s opinion. I will value that for the rest of my life.” – Be’Ana Wade, 11th Grade, Sumter Central High School
While the Christian & Small team did not emerge from the courtroom victorious, the mock trial experience was integral to our scholars’ experience at HASS. We are extremely grateful to Jim Carlson, Keren McElvy, and everyone at Christian & Small for the donation of their time, expertise and facilities. We hope to continue this partnership next year and for many years to come.