Newark Academy Mock Trial Lawyer
I have been a member of my school’s Mock Trial for three years, first as a witness and now as a lawyer. Learning to make and combat objections was one of the hardest skills to pick up because winning an objection is not about being more right, but more convincing. The game is explaining your argument in the most succinct and accurate manner.
Mock Trial taught me that being more convincing is synonymous with communicating more effectively. When I was younger, I was always characterized as talkative. Since joining the club, I’ve learned that speaking more does not directly correlate to having more to say. Rather, my meaning often got lost when I over-explained because I was asking my audience to focus on too many things at once; anything can be made easy to swallow if eaten in small bites. When I go through lines now, I look for groupings of small words or lengthy examples and ask myself if there is a better way to convey my point through either syntax or diction. I then go back and look to discern whether every word and sentence is as accurate as possible. I’ve been taught to turn the line “she told me” into “I heard her tell me” if said “she” is not in court. In this case, the extra words are necessary because the former establishes the words of the absent participant as truth, which is hearsay, while the latter establishes only what the speaker heard. Information gained through the senses is always true.
Today, though I am even more determined to speak my mind, I find myself speaking more slowly, thoughtfully, and using fewer words. Mock Trial has taught me that words are not obstacles, but rather finely crafted tools weighed down with meaning.
Check out one of my Opening Statement’s here (9:10)