Member Maureen Tobin Coaches Valley HS Mock Trial Team at National Championship

The Valley High School Mock Trial team arrived home on Sunday, May 8, from the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Phoenix.  This year’s case involved an environmental law claim by an Indian Tribe against a mining company which had subleased the rights to mine uranium on the Indian reservation.  It was officially a two-day competition (Friday-Saturday) but most teams arrived Wednesday night and scrimmaged other teams on Thursday.  We held scrimmages against teams from South Carolina and Wyoming.  On Friday morning, the competition started off well, with a first round win against a team from Guam, and a second round win against a team from Oklahoma.  We ran into a very good Missouri team on Saturday morning and lost the third round-although we were happy to hear that Missouri made it to the championship round, and sorry that they finished second to Indiana.  We then lost a close trial on Saturday afternoon against a team from Springfield, Illinois.  Years of mock trial coaching, judging and observing teaches you that there is a real element of luck and subjectivity to the competition.  But having each team portray both plaintiff and defense is a challenge and an excellent learning experience.  All 48 teams had the same witnesses and evidence, so it is enlightening to see each team try the case in their own way, with their own view of the strengths and weaknesses of each side of the case.

The competition was capped by a dinner on Saturday evening in the beautiful new federal courthouse which was attended by Sandra Day O’Connor, who both lent her name to the building and spoke briefly to the crowd of about 800 people.  The tournament included teams from 44 states, as well as from Guam, Australia, South Korea and Northern Mariana Islands.  Thanks to the organizers in Phoenix for their hard work and hospitality during this year’s tournament, and good luck to New Mexico, which has agreed to plan and host the tournament in 2012.