Raising the Bar: Mock Trial Club Earns Top Honor at Regional Competition

The Mock Trial Competition was organized by the Connecticut Bar Association with preliminary trials spanning across seven different cities. This year’s case titled State of Connecticut v. Nic/Niki VanSteenburg spotlighted the rise and devastating effects of the opioid crisis within the fictitious community of Casa Amor Island in New Haven. The case summary involved the apparent accidental overdose death of prominent accountant Huda Mustiffa and accountant Nic/Niki VanSteenburg being accused of providing the drug that caused her death and later charged with manslaughter in the second degree.

The club members stepped into the New Haven Courthouse to assume their roles as witnesses, lawyers, and other court personnel to simulate a jury trial. The attorneys for the prosecution were freshman Audrey Kim, junior Sunny Kim, and senior Sophia Vash; the defense attorneys were sophomore Mia Aisin, junior Lily Evans, and sophomore Madelon Parke. Junior Rylee Sweeney served in the role of the defendant, who is being put on trial for manslaughter in the second degree. Other witnesses included sophomore Teagan Bird, freshmen Hannah Colas and Gwendolyn Douthat, and junior Zhanna Milani, who served as eyewitnesses, medical professionals, and more.

The team successfully won the case with all the lawyers and witnesses scoring high marks on their performances and winning all the rounds. Sophia Vash and Lilly Evans in their roles as closing attorneys and Gwen Douthat in her role as a witness distinguished themselves and earned recognition from the judges for their performance in the trial.

“Mock trial has been a great experience to help us learn about the legal system,” said senior and club leader Linda Chen. “We are super proud of the improvements that we’ve made since last year, especially being able to move on.”

The Mock Trial Club was established during the 2024-2025 academic year with Upper School History teacher Dr. Nuray Ibryamova as the faculty advisor. Club members are given the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of the judicial system, laws and legal proceedings, and the art of argumentation through hands-on experiences. The preparation for the competition began months prior as students met with leader Linda Chen and coach/legal advisor Attorney Kaylyn Terry. They worked with the team on writing opening and closing statements, constructing direct and cross examinations, and memorizing fact patterns. Club members rigorously studied the law and analyzed the case to create two cases: one for the prosecution and one for the defense. Additionally, club meetings were turned into scrimmages to simulate what the competition would be like.