Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Mock Trial Preperations: What a Real Lawyer Experiences

Today was another normal day in my college experience. I woke up early in order to have time in order to have time to organize everything I needed for class. Like yesterday, the day seemed to appear very glum and depressing. There was heavy overcast and the threat of rain was persistent throughout the entire morning. I was not able to head to the dining commons for breakfast due to time constraints, however, as many of my suitemates have also had a problem with getting breakfast, there is always food in the kitchen with in the common room. I ate a bit of cereal and headed off to class.,
 
The morning session was really interesting because of the depth in which we went over each of the cases we read for homework. I feel that everyday and with every new case, I am beginning to see why the government and society operates the way it does. Compared to the beginning of this program I feel that I have begun to see the world in which I live in through an entirely newer perspective. Topics I once only had one point of view on, have been completely changed into numerous views and ideas. As class ended I felt proud of myself for having learned something completely new and to have been able to have  discussions about the many different perspectives that each case had. 
 
I then went to lunch with my suitemates at the dining commons. Officially, it is our daily custom to have lunch together and really bond even closer as a group. We use this time as a stress reliever and a time to just sit back and enjoy a few laughs with friends. So far, in the week and a couple of days we have known each other, we have developed bonds that can be described as that of life-long friends.
 
During the evening session, the beginning was used to go over one of the cases that had not been covered in the morning session due to lack of time. After, we were divided into debate groups, with whom we would conduct mock trials with the next day. The case we were assigned had to do with freedom of speech and we were defending the State of California. At first glance it seemed like a lop sided topic that would undoubtedly hinder our chances of winning. However, as our group went over the minor details of the case, it became evident that there was a chance for us if we exploited the word choice. We all separated the duties evenly and agreed to work on our parts in the afternoon.
 
After the end of class, I promptly headed out to the small outdoor seating area located right in front of the building I have class in. The sky had seemed to clear up a bit, but clouds were still very dominant. When the entire cohort had arrived, Ms. L began the meeting. One of the main subjects she touched upon, was how we had all really created a connection with our RA's. As she said this I thought about the connection I had with my own RA. In my opinion, he is a very good RA and is successful with establishing himself as an authority figure and a person who we could trust in. He has been very supportive of all of my suite members and me. He has even stayed up late with just to ensure we are able to accomplish our homework. At the end of the meeting, Ms. L had a surprise for all of us. In a bag she carried two boxes of cupcakes. In all honesty, they were amazingly delicious and flavorful.
 
Once the meeting had concluded,  I headed back to my dorm where I immediately began my homework. I wanted to finish all of the court cases as quickly as possible, so as to leave plenty of time to do research for the mock trials we would have the following day. I scanned every possible source in order to create new arguments to use against my groups opposition and attempt to anticipate the arguments they would use against us. I spent a very long time emailing my group members in order to create a strong argument. At the end of the day I felt that I had sincerely accomplished my goal of creating an air-tight argument.
 
Today I received my first official taste of the preparations lawyers go through to prepare for a trial. While this was only mock trial and completely downscaled in comparison to reality, I really felt the energy and excitement of creating a strong case. I felt the anxiety of needing to know what arguments my opposition would use against me and thrill of creating a powerful case. I very much enjoyed this experience because it gave me a real life experience as to what to expect if I ever became a lawyer. It also gave me valuable skills that I will definitely be applying during my debate season this coming school year.    

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