Some kids play football in high school.\u00a0 Some play basketball.\u00a0 Some participate in cheerleading or dance.\u00a0 Then, there are those of us who were proud to call ourselves “mock trial nerds.” At my high school, we practiced more than the sports teams.\u00a0 We had a “Varsity” and a “JV.” We competed in scrimmages against other teams, and we had coaches.\u00a0 We won our regional tournament every year, and we advanced to State.\u00a0 Our school held a pep rally for us every year before State. Our parents came to watch (or in my case, coach) our team.\u00a0 We dealt with high school drama during the year, had our highs and lows, but we worked incredibly hard, pulled ourselves together, and always walked into the courtroom a united front.\u00a0 While not around when I was in school, today there are actually numerous mock trial summer camps throughout the country.\u00a0 I’ve even heard rumors of mock trial scholarships to college.<\/p>\n
Much of my life has involved mock trial.\u00a0 I participated throughout high school, participated on Marquette’s undergraduate team (the program has since been dissolved), competed on the Trial Team in law school, and co-coached a high school team during my first two years of practice.\u00a0 This year I was appointed to co-chair the Mock Trial section of the Public Education Committee of the State Bar, with Ellen Henak.\u00a0 What’s more, if mock trial is genetic, my family is the perfect textbook example.\u00a0 Two of my three siblings participated in high school (my little brother attended the aforementioned “Mock Trial Camp,” not that I am still holding back the jealousy or anything).\u00a0 My sister, Kristen Lonergan, who practices in Wausau, is on both the Advisory Committee and the committee that writes the mock trial problem each year.\u00a0 My dad, Kevin Lonergan, is the chair of the Public Education Committee of the State Bar, which is the section under which mock trial is organized.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, I would not spend this much time and energy on a program that I didn’t believe to be extraordinarily valuable.\u00a0 The high school program is run by the State Bar of Wisconsin.\u00a0 Students receive a case in the fall of each year, which the students then analyze, develop, and prepare to try by a February regional competition.\u00a0 The ten regional winners throughout the State, along with wildcard teams, participate in a State tournament in Madison in March.\u00a0 The top two teams play off in a single elimination round judged by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.\u00a0 The top team advances to Nationals, which are held in a different state each year.<\/p>\n
The program provides incredible benefits to students, including the same teamwork and ability to work with others that sports programs boast.\u00a0 In addition, the program provides students with an opportunity to think on their feet, speak in public, and do something that takes many law students a few semesters to learn: apply the law to the facts of the case.\u00a0 For my team in particular these past two years, it provided an outlet to the students, to teach them how to use words to logically and persuasively make a point and be heard.<\/p>\n
This year, our State has the remarkable and exciting task of hosting the National High School Mock Trial competition. Marsha Varvil-Weld at the State Bar compiled and submitted an extremely extensive bid and underwent a rigorous bid selection process prior to being chosen to host the 2014 tournament.\u00a0 My dad, Kevin Lonergan, has volunteered to chair the committee organizing nationals, in addition to his duties as the chair of the Public Education Committee (yes, I am<\/i> slightly concerned for his sanity).<\/p>\n
While I am admittedly biased, our high school program is strong and well-organized (due to the hard work of all of those involved in running the program since its inception).\u00a0 Our regional coordinators are always able to successfully seek judges for the regional tournaments, and we always have judges for the State tournament.\u00a0 Those tournaments (both regionals and state) are typically 10-12 team tournaments, and require anywhere from 15-20 attorneys volunteering as judges for each round (three judges per courtroom).\u00a0 Additionally, our annual funding is anticipated and consistent.<\/p>\n
Comparatively, at Nationals we can expect over 50 teams (including Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands), which means that we will need approximately 80 attorney-volunteers just to run a single round at Nationals.\u00a0 Moreover, the fundraising that must be accomplished so early in this process (to make down payments on venues) is significant.\u00a0 While our State program is a well-oiled machine, there is no doubt it will take an entire community of lawyers to organize a successful National tournament.<\/p>\n
I often equate my high school mock trial experience to participation in a sport, because there are more similarities than differences (though I admittedly only survived a single year of cross-country, as opposed to my four years of mock trial). Next year, in 2014, I won’t be rooting for my alma-mater, Xavier.\u00a0 In fact, I won’t be rooting for any particular team for that matter.\u00a0 Next year, I am just rooting for Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
Note: If you are interested in judging, donating, participating on a committee, or more information, please contact Marsha Varvil-Weld of the Wisconsin State Bar at mvarvil-weld@wisbar.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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