Severn News

Mock Trial Team tackles intriguing case

2/12/2016

Our Mock Trail team has been hard at work developing their strategy for this year's case involving lacrosse, concussions, blame and intrigue. Read about the process and the case from our own Susan Jackson, Director of the Learning Resource Center, US English teacher, and Mock Trial team advisor...

Mock Trial provides students with the opportunity to explore the legal process and participate in simulated trials. Students receive a case from the Maryland State Bar Association's Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, are assigned roles as attorneys or witnesses, and compete against other students from state public, parochial, and independent schools.

Read about the process and the case from our own Susan Jackson, Director of the Learning Resource Center, US English teacher, and Mock Trial team advisor:

Mock Trial 15-16

The 15 team members and alternates on Severn School’s Mock Trial team have spent several hours a week since mid-November honing their skills to compete weekly at the Annapolis Circuit Court House on Church Circle in Annapolis against 10 other Anne Arundel County Schools in the 33rd annual Maryland State Bar Association Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition.

Over 150 Maryland teams participate each year in the program, whose objectives are to

further understanding of the law, court procedures, and the legal system;
increase proficiency in soft skills such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning;
heighten appreciation for academic studies as well as career consciousness of law-related professions.

The competition begins in January at the county level with 9 trials and in mid-March continues with circuit and regional competitions. The season ends in late April when a state champion is named.

Severn’s mock trial team won the state championship in 2007 and second place in 2008. Since then, the team has won several circuit and regional awards for its outstanding performance.

This year’s case focuses on the timely topic of sports related concussions. Sarah Perez and Casey Perez, plaintiffs in this civil case, are suing defendants Shannon Dempsey and the Springfield County Lacrosse Club, Inc., making the claim that the coach and the league were negligent because they allowed plaintiff Sarah Perez to play lacrosse when they knew or should have known that doing so exposed her to the risk of serious brain injury since she had suffered a prior concussion. The Defense denies the allegation and asserts the Affirmative Defense of Assumption of Risk, claiming the Plaintiffs assumed the risk of a severe head injury since they knew Sarah had a prior injury and still allowed her to play.

As the team’s teacher coach, I am working this year with Jean Berard and Rodica Townshend, both of the Upper School Foreign Language department. David Myers and Debra Luzietti-Myers (parents of Kaitlyn '06)have worked with the team for many years as attorney coaches and continue to share their expertise and advice with the team.

I am especially proud of this year’s team. They give up every Saturday morning to come to school where they study the nuances of the case, prepare their presentation, and practice their performance. Not only do the team members learn valuable lessons about the law, but they also learn valuable lessons about critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership.

This year’s team includes the following students:

Zak Rosen '16, Alanna Sokoloff '16, Elizabeth Grund '17, Nina Page '17, Paul Wyrough'17, Ben Carsley '18, Jane Huang '18, Jimmy Selby '18, Aidan Wang '18, Caroline Bayless '19, Anthony Donato '19, Danielle Drury '19, Evan Gore '19, Jimmy Leroux'19, and Mariah Saunders '19.

The team competes at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court House on Church Circle at 4:30p. You can attend and support them on these dates during the next few weeks as they complete their county round.