CHS mock trial team prepares for third round in state competition

Yuliya Sundul details the night she went running and was hit by a car, carefully telling her story and making sure to interject telling details that the defense may not want her to get out.

While her story is part of a mock trial, and nothing she actually went through, she practices telling it with accuracy, hoping to give the Cohoes High School mock trial team an edge at its upcoming trial.

As part of the third round of the 2008 New York State Mock Trial tournament on Wednesday, April 2, several Cohoes High School students are getting ready to outshine their competition.

The tournament, sponsored by the New York State Bar Association, gives high school students a chance to experience a courtroom and an opportunity to learn public speaking, legal proceedings and prepare what may be a career in law.

Cohoes sophomore Kim Hansen, who plans to be a lawyer someday, says the experience has been invaluable.

"It gives me hands-on experience for when I go to law school," said Hansen, who is one of the attorneys on the Cohoes team this year. She said one of the challenges is being courteous and remembering all of the rules about objecting, court conduct and laws in court. "You have to be on your toes when you're in court."

In the first two rounds of the 2008 competition, the team has competed against Guilderland and Doane Stuart. On Wednesday, they will once again go to trial against Doane Stuart.

The Cohoes team is coached by teacher Tom Mullins and Cohoes City Court Judge Richard R. Macguire. The competition’s purpose is to give students a chance to learn basic trial skills and how to act in court as attorneys and witnesses.

During the event, students go through an entire trial, including opening statements and examination of witnesses. Each year students prepare one car—this year it involves a motor vehicle and pedestrian accident.

Cohoes will compete at the Albany County Justice Center on April 2.

For more information about the competition, visit www.lycny.org.