News Article

Staying busy isn’t a problem for attorneys. Most have more work than they can cram into their already hectic schedules.

So it might seem a little surprising to find attorneys spending a few of their precious free hours listening to legal arguments. But that’s exactly what some Womble Carlyle lawyers are doing, as they volunteer their time and experience to help high school and college students prepare for mock trial competitions.

These events require students to prepare and argue court cases as if they were trial attorneys. A panel of judges listens to the arguments and critiques the participants.

But as often is the case in the real world of law, preparation usually determines who wins and loses mock trial competitions. And that’s where Womble Carlyle attorneys can help students competing in these events.

Attorneys Rachel Daly, Chris Geis and Jackie Goble volunteered to serve as judges for a team of Wake Forest University undergraduate students who were preparing for a recent national competition. The students presented their cases before the attorneys, who then offered feedback on how to improve their performance.

Meanwhile, attorneys Liz Arias, Julie Bradburn, Stuart Brock and Joann Waters have coached the Bishop McGuinness High School moot court squad. They helped the team break down cases into their important components, assemble their arguments and understand the basics of courtroom procedure. The Womble Carlyle lawyers critiqued practice rounds and even gave the students pointers on presentation skills and courtroom mannerisms.

Both teams have enjoyed recent success. The Wake Forest team finished second overall in January’s Furman University Regional, earning a spot in April’s National Championship in the process. Bishop McGuinness’ team won first place in last year’s 28-team Harvard Model Congress, a national high school competition held in Boston. It was the third consecutive year the team won the competition.

High school students may not have the legal training of a law school student or even a college undergraduate, but Brock said he’s been impressed with how prepared and professional the high school competitors are.

“They’re putting in the same hours and commitment that we did in law school,” he said. “It’s a lot of work for an extracurricular activity.”

It’s also a lot of work for the attorneys. The Bishop McGuinness team practices six to eight hours a week during the two-and-a-half-month season. The students must prepare six different arguments, which they present during competition.

Daly, who captained her National Trial Team in law school, said these competitions help lawyers-in-training become comfortable arguing before a court. She also said mock trial events show students the level of preparation needed to argue a real case.

The Wake Forest students said being able to practice in front of experienced attorneys helped them greatly in mock trial competition.

“We were able to incorporate many of the attorneys' suggestions,” said Danny Budasoff, a member of the Wake Forest mock trial team. “It made a substantial, noticeable difference in the end.”

Bradburn said the high school students learned how to separate their personal feelings on a subject from the law. She helped a group of students prepare arguments in a mock case involving a school voucher plan and the Constitutional separation between church and state. Students had to be prepared to argue either side of case, so they had to learn to view it objectively.

Even if college and high school students don’t plan on becoming a lawyer, Goble said they still can learn a lot in mock trial competitions.

“You work on your presentation skills; you work on your confidence,” she said. “You can use what you learn in other settings.”

Those lessons can apply even to young students. Attorney Tim Barber helped organize a mock trial for a Charlotte elementary school. Barber provided legal advice, but students played all courtroom roles, including that of the jury. Barber said the student jurors came to a fair, equitable verdict.

“It reaffirmed something I believe in strongly – the jury system,” he said. “Jurors try very hard to get it right and these kids understood that. They took this seriously.”

Despite the extra work, the Womble Carlyle attorneys say they enjoy working with the young competitors.

Arias taught high school math before becoming an attorney. Working with the Bishop McGuinness team, as she’s done for the past five years, allows her to stay connected with something she loves.

“I like teaching and I like this age group,” Arias said. “It is rewarding to see these students learn and improve.”