advertisement

Northwest Suburban Bar Association hosts 21st annual Mock Trial Invitational

The Northwest Suburban Bar Association's 21st annual high school Mock Trial took place on Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. More than 400 students from 24 area high schools participated in the tournament.

After a lively competition, St. Charles North High School emerged victorious and took first place. Timothy Christian High School in Elmhurst came in second and third place went to Glenbard East High School in Lombard.

Outstanding Attorney finished in a tie between Boylan Catholic's Sofia St. Angel and Evanston's Michael Colton. Outstanding Witness was Dominic Sciortino from St. Charles East High School.

Janelle Vandesampel, head coach for first place St. Charles North, was impressed with all aspects of the tournament.

"It is clear that you (NWSBA) have a dedicated group of professionals who really work to make this event meaningful for students. It is exciting to have the opportunity to compete against such a large group of schools and to see different styles and approaches taken by other teams."

She also is of the opinion that the caliber of teams is high.

"To win this tournament is definitely an honor. Our kids have spent many hours learning the case, picking it apart and putting it back together through many different lenses. They're constantly trying something new to see how it works, and working to become more adaptable in the moment. Being recognized for their performance helps to reinforce these efforts, and definitely motivates them to want to continue their success in Champaign in March," Vandesampel said.

All of the students that participated know how much time, effort and preparation go into a mock trial.

"We really appreciate getting a chance to compete against other schools in such a realistic and professional environment, as well as helpful feedback from the volunteers, and excellent overall hospitality from the organization. It feels great to win a tournament with so many of the teams that we will be meeting downstate. It gives us confidence and shows us things we can improve on going forward," said Ryan Wolak, a senior at St. Charles North High School.

Scott Roelfs, mock trial team coach at Timothy Christian High School, was very pleased that his school took second place this year.

"The NWSBA Mock Trial Tournament is a great experience, as usual. The kids love competing in real courtrooms in front of real judges, and getting tips from actual lawyers. It promotes respect for our legal system, and for the law itself," Roelfs said.

The students that participate in this event are there because they are interested in the law, and are hoping to gain real world experience.

"Going to tournaments like this are always so fun! The NWSBA does a great job providing us students with food and judges that take time out of their day to evaluate us. It is a great experience to play against well-prepared competition at such a well-organized tournament," said Charles Hooker, a senior at Timothy Christian High School.

Kevin Kappock, head coach of the Evanston High School team, has participated in this event for many years.

"Evanston has always considered the NWSBA Mock Trial competition to be a highlight of our season, and this year was no exception. The tireless work of the judiciary, members of the Bar Association and volunteers once again resulted in one of the best tournaments in the state. The level and depth of the competition makes our co-captain Michael Colton's recognition as one of the best attorneys all the more special," Kappock said.

The Hon. William O. Maki, presiding judge of the Third District, welcomed students, coaches, parents, judges and attorneys to the event and thanked the high schools for participating.

"Thank you to the NWSBA, and all of the volunteers for all of their hard work in making this a successful annual event. There is a lot of involvement from many people, including the students, and it is gratifying to see this event come together so well," Maki said.

The students were judged on a point-scale of (1) noneffective to (5) outstanding on various courtroom roles, ranging from witness performance, direct exam by attorneys, to cross and re-cross exam by attorneys.

Preparations for this type of tournament begin at the start of the school year, requiring diligence and dedication on the part of the students. These students have invested hundreds of hours preparing for this courtroom drama by absorbing the details of the case, memorizing parts, getting into character and rehearsing. This year's fictional case was the People of the State of Illinois vs. Taylor Cartwright. The basis of this fictitious case is a Greek Society hazing at a university that resulted in the death of one of the pledges.

Many teams will move on to the state tournament, set for March 11-12 at the University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign.

This year, the mock trial event was co-chaired by Kenneth C. Apicella and Frank J. Serio, attorney members of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association.

Frank Serio expressed his pleasure at the high number of high school participants.

"It is incredible that we once again have such a high turnout for this event. The kids have to practice for months to compete here, and I am consistently impressed by the effort and prep time that these students put into this event," Serio said.

He went on to thank the parents, coaches and judges for volunteering their time to help produce such a high quality work product.

Ken Apicella thanked the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, as well as all of the participating judges and volunteer attorneys.

"It is a testament to the students' dedication that they are able to practice, and subsequently compete in this caliber of competition before real judges in actual courtrooms. The work that the NWSBA staff puts into organizing this event is first rate, and the member attorneys that volunteer their time have the gratitude of all those involved," Apicella said.

Twelve Cook County Circuit Court judges from the Third District volunteered their time and expertise to preside over the students' cases, while more than 40 attorneys from the Northwest Suburban Bar Association served as competition judges and event volunteers.

The judges this year included the Hon. Samuel J. Betar III, Hon. Steven J. Goebel, Hon. Bridget J. Hughes, Hon. Martin C. Kelley, Hon. Steven Kozicki, Hon. Ellen Mandeltort, Hon. Marc C. Martin, Hon. James Pieczonka, Hon. Thomas D. Roti, Hon. Richard D. Schwind, Hon. Sandra Tristano (retired) and Hon. Steven M. Wagner.

While every student that participates in mock trials will not go on to become an attorney, this intensive event gives them an opportunity to fine tune such skills as team-building, research and public speaking - all skills that can only benefit them later in life.

For the first time in the history of this invitational, a limited number of teams were provided with the services of court reporters to record the proceedings. The Northwest Suburban Bar Association would like to thank and acknowledge Jensen Litigation for providing four court reporters for this competition. These transcripts will be valuable in preparation for those teams that will continue on to the state tournament.

The invitational was presented by the Northwest Suburban Bar Association, in partnership with the Northwest Suburban Bar Association Foundation. Corporate sponsors for this event were American Landscaping Inc., Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC, Fidelity National Title, Jensen Litigation Solutions, and Waltz, Palmer & Dawson. This event was funded in part with a grant from the Illinois State Bar Association.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.