BC Law’s Mock Trial competition has been an exhilarating part of my law school experience. This year, 22 teams litigated the fictional case State of Lone Star v. Justice Jackson, where the defendant was suspected of felony theft and burglary in a late-night smash and grab of the boutique clothing store, Fox + Cat Vintage.

Our team had to dive deep into the case materials, examining every detail—from the eyewitness testimony to the intricacies of the fingerprint evidence on a pipe allegedly used in the crime. We practiced creating opening and closing statements, each word carefully chosen to create a smooth, coherent, and convincing story. 

While each round involved the same case materials, the endings always varied. The name of the game is admitting evidence that benefits you while trying to exclude evidence that harms you. Different teams have different case theories. One team of prosecutors may think an exhibit is crucial to proving their case, while another team may think the same exhibit is irrelevant or bad for their case.

One memorable part of the Mock Trial competition is questioning witnesses. With each cross-examination, it’s crucial to expose inconsistencies in the story or reveal new facets of a witness’s personality or reliability. For example, I questioned Angel Nguyen, the defendant’s ex-wife and main alibi witness who said the two were watching The Bachelor together at the time the burglary occurred. While you can prepare to your heart’s content, you can never fully anticipate exactly what the witness’s responses will be. Witnesses will squirm and try their hardest to avoid the traps the cross-examining attorney is laying in front of them. That’s the fun of the game.

That process was a mix of adrenaline rushes and critical thinking. It’s public speaking, trial practice, evidence, and thinking-on-your-feet all wrapped into one. Things will go fast and you have to act faster. If you don’t make a timely objection, the judge will tell you, “the horse has already left the barn.” For that reason, knowing the material and concepts well enough to invoke their substance and argue it on the spot is crucial. At the very least, you won’t be bored.

If participating as an attorney isn’t your thing, I’d strongly recommend being a mock trial witness. Not only is embodying a character fun, but there is also a skill component in helping evoke the story your side wants to tell, while making it as hard as possible for the other side to do the same.

I’d like to thank Caleb Brady, Noah DeRossi, and Christian Bilgrien for co-chairing the tournament. Without them, it simply wouldn’t be possible. They put on great presentations teaching the basics of trial advocacy and brought in fantastic judges who provided invaluable advice to our young legal minds, giving us a glimpse on what the real courtroom looks like.

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Alex Mostaghimi is a second-year student at BC Law. Contact him at mostagha@bc.edu.