THE AMHS MOCK TRIAL TEAM TRAVELS TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Sophie Santucci ’19

Nov 5 2018 10:45 AM

The Archbishop Murphy High School Mock Trial team is well known for being one of the top teams in their area. Lead by Roger Brodniak, who also teaches at the school, they have won six district championships since 2006. One of the perks of being on such a renowned team is being eligible to attend the Angela R. Mathew High School Seminar Program at Harvard University. This seminar allows the students on the AMHS team to learn from some of the most successful mock trial competitors and coaches in the country. The Harvard Mock Trial Association is one of the most competitive in the world and offers valuable lessons for the stand-out Archbishop Murphy team.

The Archbishop Murphy High School Mock Trial team is well known for being one of the top teams in their area. Lead by Roger Brodniak, who also teaches at the school, they have won six district championships since 2006. One of the perks of being on such a renowned team is being eligible to attend the Angela R. Mathew High School Seminar Program at Harvard University. This seminar allows the students on the AMHS team to learn from some of the most successful mock trial competitors and coaches in the country. The Harvard Mock Trial Association is one of the most competitive in the world and offers valuable lessons for the stand-out Archbishop Murphy team.

On October 11th, 25 members of the Archbishop Murphy Mock Trial team departed for Boston on a red-eye flight out of Seatac International Airport. Over the first two days of the trip, they took part in many sightseeing opportunities including seeing the Massachusetts State House, the 50th floor of the Prudential Tower, and even a cruise of Boston Harbor on which they got an up-close and personal look at the USS Cassin Young, a destroyer damaged in the Pearl Harbor attack, and the USS Constitution.

The AMHS students then prepared for the seminar. The 25 students were split up into three competing teams, which were each paired with a Harvard student to coach them. They competed in the scrimmage held on Sunday night. On the first day of the seminar, the team listened to presentations on opening statements, direct examinations, and cross-examinations given by members of the Harvard Team. The team also collaborated  with other high school teams at the seminar. At the end of day one, they met up with the team from Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit Catholic school from Kansas City, for an impromptu brainstorming session to help each other prepare for the next few days.

The final day of the seminar began with a lecture about witness skills, which was followed by one-on-one time for the Harvard students to share their insights with the smaller competing teams. Later in the day, several AMHS seniors on the team had the opportunity to partake in the “Captain’s Session” which is geared towards the cultivation of leadership skills and their application to a mock trial team. “Our seniors came back with a lot of enthusiasm and felt empowered with good ideas for making our program a better experience for all!” said Brodniak.

During the scrimmage on Sunday night, the three teams from AMHS competed against other high school teams from across the county. Team one faced off with American Heritage High School out of Florida, a team that finished 5th in the nation in 2016. Junior Ryan Ohl was awarded a certificate for being the most outstanding attorney in this trial. Team two competed against Northview High School from Georgia. Northview won 2nd place at the National Mock Trial Championship in 2016, but AMHS held their own against this them. Junior Elizabeth Anderson was awarded a certificate for outstanding attorney as well. The third and final team faced another team from Northview High School and sophomore Maria Morales was named outstanding attorney in this trial. Contending with such high-ranking teams allowed the AMHS team to identify their strengths and gain many valuable tactics and strategies.

A senior on the team, Ellie Bailey shared that “meeting the students of Harvard was really inspiring and helped me improve my skills in mock trial and as a student.” The team was strengthened not only in their talents but in their teamwork and leadership skills. Bailey said, “This trip will definitely improve our whole team. I’m one of the leaders of mock trial, so I went to the leadership conference with the Harvard students. They taught us tips and tricks about how to keep your team passionate and how to use everyone’s unique knowledge and skills.” The AMHS Mock Trial team continues to be an exceptional group of students who are well regarded in not only Snohomish county, but across the nation.