The near-silence of the classroom was broken only by the quiet rustle of paper as students flipped through pages of testimony and evidence. With tension in the air, members of Mock Trial prepared to face La Jolla High School in their first scrimmage after re-forming in spring. In Mock Trial, preparation is the name of the game. After spending days learning her witness statement front to back, Nikki Markman (9) took the stand to embody her role as Skylar Sinclair, the defendant in a murder trial. 

This year, the Mock Trial team has changed considerably under its new coach, Pratik Shah. After losing six of eight attorneys and two witnesses from the end of the 2024-2025 season, the team went through a thorough restructuring. To fill the gap left by eight seniors, nine underclassmen were promoted to attorneys and witnesses, leaving the team with primarily new and inexperienced members. Despite this, the team managed to place sixth in the county competition out of 41 schools. After a successful winter season, the team has shifted its vision to the future. 

UCSD’s Triton Mock Trial team has launched a new program that seeks to prepare students for the College Mock Trial by hosting a competition in the spring.  Westview has joined this brand new competition in the Spring—where all members who will continue with the team next year can join—which has allowed underclassmen to play more significant roles in preparation for the next year.

One of these underclassmen is Joyce Lee (10), has received a unique opportunity to become a prosecution closing attorney, a role typically reserved for club presidents. As a closing attorney, she is expected to summarize the evidence of a case and spin a cohesive narrative at the conclusion of a trial as a last chance to persuade a judge.

 “Taking on the role of a prosecuting attorney was both scary and exciting since I was so used to being a witness,” Lee said. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me think more on the spot, but I’ve really been enjoying the challenge and having a lot of fun stepping into an attorney role.” 

Unlike the usual yearly competition hosted by Teach Democracy (formerly Constitutional Rights Foundation), the unprecedented UCSD Spring season is based around a 74-page American Mock Trial Association case packet designed for college students rather than high-schoolers.

“The case packets were a lot longer, and they were a little more difficult to read,” Markman said. “But that also comes with its perks. For instance, in regular Mock Trial, we weren’t allowed to cry or do accents, and we weren’t allowed to get as much into character. Whereas this time, I feel like there’s more of a chance for us to really embody our role.”

However, unforeseen consequences have arisen from hosting a second competition in the same school year as the winter season.

“It’s a lot harder than normal just because there’s so little time to prepare for it,” Lee explained. “We only have a couple of weeks to prepare. There’s definitely a lot more preparation and time getting squeezed in.”

Markman said this forced the team to adapt.

“In our previous season, we got a lot of time to really go into depth and really change up or really focus on the small details,” she said. “Now, we get a lot less time, and we only meet once a week.”

For Lee, this means spending extra time memorizing rather than perfecting her material. As a prosecution closing attorney, she carries the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and must be ready to make improvised rebuttals.

“I’m making sure I get all my stuff down, like my closing,” she said. “I know what I’m gonna say. I know what the prosecution’s gonna bring out in trial, and I’m also making sure my witness knows what they’re doing.”

Markman said she works closely with her attorney to prepare and has made sure to communicate closely with her teammates outside of the team meetings. As the defendant in the case, she must give a convincing performance as an innocent civilian and dispel any suspicions of her involvement in the murder of an undercover cop.

“As a witness, my attorney has been meeting with me weekly during school hours,” Markman said. “Just in order to really make sure that we get all the good details in our direct, and to make sure that I’m prepared and know every part of my statement.”

Nevertheless, the new UCSD Mock Trial competition provided an unmatched opportunity for extra practice. For Markman, who was previously a bailiff, this was her chance to better prepare for being a witness.

“I’m really glad that I’m doing this,” she said. “I joined mostly to improve my skills and just to be more prepared going into the next school year. I think I have a better understanding of what it’s like to play a witness.”

For Lee, while she agrees that the season is great for practice, more importantly, she believes that it’s helped build an even better team for next year.

“This season’s been an amazing learning experience, and it’s definitely raised the bar for everyone,” she said. “I can see us having more experienced and talented members next year because of what we’ve learned this season.”