The whole point of Mock Trial is to expose students to the ins and outs of the American legal system, and in this regard, it is stunningly successful. A news article about an ongoing trial immediately makes sense. An episode of 'The Practice' gets torn apart for being unrealistic.

And, best of all, a mock trial veteran is not intimidated by the law. The closing student attorney on our team fought a ticket in court last year, complete with his own hand-drawn diagrams. He won both the decision and the admiration of the presiding judge.

But a huge benefit of this activity has nothing to do with law. When I see a shy sophomore girl hold her own with a veteran judge, or the once awkward boy stand up in that courtroom all by himself, I know it's all about confidence. I can't think of any better preparation for college, or for life. So my team, and the hundreds of others just like us, will be up late Monday night preparing for Tuesday night's trial. But hey, that's what real lawyers do.

- Christine Baron, "From the Front of the Classroom; Even Mock Trials Produce Some Real Triumphs," Los Angeles Times, December 3, 2000.