Just to clarify, I am probably not any of these things. I am talking about the past roles I have played in mock trial.
I love mock trial; I love the pounding of my heart as I approach the witness stand; I love the friendships I can make with opposing teams; I love the feeling of satisfaction I get after adeptly answering a difficult question on cross-examination. Most of all, however, I love presenting a particularly pithy one-liner in an opening statement.
Mock trial is such an integral part of my life that I have voluntarily put myself in court for the past three years. I even did mock trial over the …show more content…
I had no experience as an attorney before this, but I am nothing if not determined. I hunted down one of my school’s former mock trial coaches and begged him to help me prepare for the case. After twenty-seven days of thorough case preparation, I was proud, confident, and ready to compete.
My first round took place the next day against a mock trial national champion.
My opponent was fearsome in her beauty. She adapted to any situation. I objected lack of foundation; I objected hearsay. Again and again, the judge overruled my objections in the face of her cohesive arguments. I fought, but it was to no avail. Where I was thrown off, she was in her element.
The round ended. I shook my opponent’s hand, hugged her, and wished her the best of luck. I meant …show more content…
I learned not to stand too close to the jury box; I learned that I would not falter in the face of an unexpected objection. The technical lessons I learned from my first round ended up helping me less than the skills I learned to utilize. After all, I learned about myself, too, from my reaction to that disastrous round.
I didn’t let my loss faze me. I pulled myself up by the pantyhose, so to speak. I adjusted my blazer, slicked my hair back, and looked my next opponent in the eye, shaking his hand before the trial started. I was ready to recover stronger than ever. Like a phoenix rising up from the ashes, I knew I would deliver my best performance yet, despite my past failures.
I was right. Within the space of an hour, I turned my entire strategy around. I scrapped my direct and came up with a new one on the spot. My cross examination was entirely improvised. By going with the flow, I was able to tailor my case to exactly counter my opponent’s argument.
I won that round by a hairsbreadth. It wasn’t a decisive victory by any stretch of imagination, but it was a far leap from where I was before, struggling to respond to a simple hearsay