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St. Olaf Mock Trial Team off to strong start

By Christine Kinney '08
November 13, 2007

Members of the St. Olaf Mock Trial Team, a program that is new on campus this year, wasted no time in asserting their knowledge of the judicial system in recent competitions.

At the Macalester Invitational late last month, the team won a trial round and received accolades from the judges for their polish and preparedness. Members Brenna Robinson '10, Dan Pohlman '10, Elizabeth Mitchell '10, Charles DeBeck '09 and Vanessa Brown '09 were nominated for outstanding witness. Justine Goeke '10, Elizabeth Mitchell '10, Thomas Wilshusen '10, Charles DeBeck '09 and Maddy Schaefer '10 were nominated for outstanding attorneys.

Judges score the students based on the content of their presentation, their performance and their poise as an attorney or witness.

Mock Trial is a spoken-word competition in which two teams of six to eight students, representing the prosecution or the defense, try a criminal or civil case against one another. Team members act as attorneys and witnesses, developing a case over the course of a year. This year, the hypothetical case is Midlands v. Bobbi Campbell -- a sentencing procedure to determine how many years Bobbi Campbell should spend incarcerated.

Mock Trial introduces students to the American legal system by providing a challenging academic forum in which students compete in regional and even national trials. The program offers students an opportunity for personal growth and achievement, emphasizing the importance of research, presentation and teamwork. In addition to teaching students about contemporary public issues and the legal system, the program encourages teachers and students to develop learning partnerships with professionals from the community.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.