The Law School was buzzing with energy this past weekend when nearly 200 students from 11 area schools came together for the Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program hosted by St. John’s Law and St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School.

Now in its 21st year, the Program offers participants a unique opportunity to conduct mock trials as prosecution and defense teams. Preparing for weeks with teachers and volunteer lawyer/coaches, they arrived at St. John’s ready to argue a case drawn from the New York State High School Mock Trial Program involving a high school student charged with manslaughter after a rollover car crash. They presented their cases before members of the Law School’s national champion Frank S. Polestino Trial Advocacy Institute, who volunteered as judges.

“It’s wonderful to watch these young students learn about our legal system, exercise analytical and reasoning skills, practice public speaking, and build self-confidence,” says St. John’s Law Professor Michael A. Simons, who has run the Program since 2006. “They get to see the law in action and begin to think critically about the law as a force for social good.”

Lori Kanina ’25, who took a break from bar exam studying to serve as a judge, was impressed with the young advocates. “It was amazing to see the hard work these students put into their cases,” she says. “They were energetic, engaged, and more skilled at trial work than I was in my 1L year! I hope they continue to participate in mock trial programs in the coming years.”

Reflecting on the successful event, St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School’s Principal Paul Clagnaz shares, “ I commend the students for their willingness to take on new challenges, and for putting in the extra time and effort required to participate in this Program. I expect to see future attorneys and judges coming out of this outstanding group of young people.”

This year’s Catholic Middle School Mock Trial Program was sponsored by Duffy & Duffy, a Long Island law firm headed by Michael Duffy ‘94 that generously endowed the program with a major gift.