Restauranteur and chronic gambler Connor Hastings was recently murdered, locked in the freezer of his own restaurant, allegedly by his business partner Lane King. The details of the grisly crime are shocking — except they are not true.
In this fictional trial, it was up to two Honors Argument classes earlier today to determine if King would be sentenced to life in prison.
As long as there’s been a legal system, mock trials have served as a way to educate, train, and inspire future legal minds. At North Allegheny, mock trials have become more than just an extracurricular activity. They are integrated into argument classes and provide a crucial stepping stone to law-related careers. They are a dynamic platform for students to sharpen critical skills and engage in collaborative challenges.
Through two distinct avenues, students are experiencing firsthand the transformative power of courtroom simulations: the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s statewide program (competing NASH teams are led by GOAL teacher Mrs. Ruffolo) and the in-class Honors Argument mock trial project (spearheaded by English teacher Mr. Rhinehart).
“The PA Bar Association writes a case each year so high school students can hold a mock trial,” Ruffolo shared. “This year, they pulled out all the stops and presented students with a great opportunity to sharpen their legal acumen, critical thinking skills, and ability to think on their feet in a competitive environment.”
“More than 50 students from NAI and NASH entered the regional mock trial hosted by the Northern Area Gifted Consortium at Duquesne University to argue for the conviction or for a not guilty verdict for a fictional person accused of stealing a time capsule at a high school. Of the six teams who entered, NA came home with five verdicts in their favor,” Ruffolo added.
In Honors Argument, “mock trial is a culmination of the skill sets we learn from theory and debate practice in the class,” Rhinehart said. “It integrates the logical structure of an argument with evidence and backing, along with the Fisher narrative paradigm to put the evidence into a compelling narrative frame.”
The Honors Argument classes had two trials earlier today in the NASH Library and the PLACE; both resulted in a win for the defense.
Even students who had never participated before found the experience rewarding.
Manit Bhargave, a senior enrolled in Honors Argument, reflected, “It is pretty formal, and I like being able to practice my own role that contributes to a larger team exercise. Now that I’ve had this in-class experience, I would consider doing a mock trial outside of this class.”
Similarly, Santino Scialabba, another senior in the class, shared, “I have not done any mock trials before, but I now want to do more of this in the future. I will probably volunteer to help with the middle school mock trial coming up.”
For senior Marco Calso, the experience was both enjoyable and practical.
“I think that in a time where it is really hard to communicate with people who disagree with you, [mock trial] allows you a set of vocabulary and procedures to use to get points across in a very factual manner,” he said.
Students with years of mock trial experience also found value in this year’s case and opportunities.
Archi Kamath, a senior who has participated in six years of mock trials, said, “Law is all about storytelling and how you frame your case. It’s less about who is technically right or wrong and more about who has the best manipulation of the facts.”
Another student emphasized the continuity of mock trials as an extracurricular activity. “mock trial is one of the only extracurriculars that you can do in middle school that carries over to high school. It is a constant. I started doing mock trials in the sixth grade, so this is my seventh year. I want to go into international corporate litigation so I don’t want to be a trial lawyer, but I definitely want to work within law. I do like having the trial take up this much of the Honors Argument curriculum,” she said.
Mock trial participants, whether they aim to pursue legal careers or not, consistently highlight the real-world skills they develop.
“Mock trials teach you how to analyze something in front of you, draw conclusions, solve problems, and persuade others,” Rhinehart said. “All of these are valuable no matter the job or major you plan on pursuing, as long as you interact with other people.”
Ruffolo echoed the sentiment.
“The skills you learn when participating in a mock trial are skills you can take with you and add to your intellectual tool kit in a variety of situations,” she said. “They make you a better student and with some metacognition, you can extend the usefulness of your mock trial experience. You learn and practice critical thinking—not just reading for understanding, but making each piece of information shed light on a narrative that YOU construct. You learn structure, you learn rules, AND you learn how to adapt all of that to suit your cause. You learn a more nuanced approach to teamwork. Hopefully, you learn to read directions and maybe even follow them for your own betterment.”
Mock trial at NASH is more than just a competition; it’s a transformative experience that prepares students for life’s challenges. By simulating real-world legal scenarios, students gain skills that will serve them in college, careers, and beyond. As the activity continues to grow and thrive, one thing is clear: mock trial is helping NASH students make their case for success.
