HP Fling

When the Dean of Admissions at Metropolitan University gets twisted up in a case of honest services mail fraud, the Highland Park Mock Trial team is on the case! This year’s team established itself as the best in the high school’s history, becoming the 2023-2024 county champions and placing 6th overall out of 215 teams in the state. The Mock Trial team blazed its way to success under team captains Michael Volpert and Yaya Hang, as well as club advisor Mr. Gold. Co-captain Michael Volpert reports, “I’ve put more work into this club than anything else in my life, and I’m so glad that in my last season, we were able to do as well as we did.”

In the past few years, the team did not make it past the county finals. “I'm very happy we finally got to go where we deserve in the competition,” returning member and lawyer of the club Hugh Pemberton expresses. “These past few years, we’ve been snubbed again and again, so I'm happy we finally got our payoff.” The team had to go up against four schools to win counties, one of them being East Brunswick, a school that has beaten HP Mock Trial on multiple occasions. Co-captain Yaya Hang recounts, “When I was a freshman, we lost to East Brunswick in the county finals. “Beating them was the greatest thing that happened this year.”

Beating larger schools from all over the state requires more than talented lawyers, though. In Mock Trial competitions, the witnesses testify through a direct examination with their own lawyer and a cross-examination with the opposing team’s lawyer. Ben Esteves reflects on this experience, “I got to learn a lot this season like improvisation skills, public speaking skills, and learning how to manage a lot of information. You get to become a character, and I really enjoyed my role.” Elliot Li, another witness, shares, “It was certainly new for me…It was fun to exhibit the character of someone else.”

This year’s team of ten has to say goodbye to five graduating seniors. However, even with such a strong team this year, they had to say goodbye to five graduating seniors, leaving room for a brand new captain for the 2024-2025 school year, Ana Juricic. “I see the club going far next year,” Ana predicts. “I know all the members who aren’t graduating are extremely dedicated and will work hard next year.”

Yaya encourages people with a passion for acting, law, or even winning to give the club a try. “You don’t need to be a wannabe lawyer to do Mock Trial. I mean, I certainly wasn't…You should try it before you reject it, because even when it is a lot of work, it’s become my favorite thing in the world.”