Stories

Judicial Joy

Authors: Leia Cook, Maya Chand

Throughout the convention, Judicial teams have been working hard to ensure they are successful throughout all their trials. As members of the judicial branch at the youth and government convention, students are expected to read through cases and form arguments based on the case packet. We spoke to a pair of students, Quinn Prouty and Lily Iffland from the Lindbergh delegation. We interviewed them about their experience in the branch, how they prepare, and how their work and preparation affected their performance.

Before their second trial of the convention. Leia and I sat in as Quinn and Lily prepared for their case. During this, we not only observed their work ethic but also conducted an interview where we got insight on their specific preparations and uncovered their true emotions towards the structure of Youth and Governments 2022 Judicial branch structure.

Shifting our focus onto the case itself, we asked Lily and Quinn whether or not they believe that this year's case was a relatively difficult one. Quinn and Lily responded with great detail saying that the 2022 case was personally more difficult for them because it was more morality based, so being able to see from both perspectives was a bit challenging. This year's case also happens to be a current case that is being argued on right now in the congressional courts, so students must work even harder to think as a real attorney. Lily stated; “This year's case is a real court case, so as people working on and researching the case they are eager to discover the results of the current court case”. Lily and Quinn seemed to enjoy the 2022 case more than others this year as they believed it was challenging! Quinn revealed this to us when responding to our question, “Do you enjoy this case compared to previous ones?” In response she said; “Yes, there are more viewpoints to look at and learn about in order to be properly prepared. A more detailed and vibrant discussion is had due to such strong differences in opinion, which in turn makes the case more interesting”

As Lily and Quinn hinted, many students were eager to present on this year's case, which made us question, Is it hard to keep personal beliefs and preferences out of your case verdicts and arguments? Quinn responded saying; “Yes, because the case has a large amount of moral involvement. Since it is a real case, politics are quite prevalent and many people feel a personal connection to the case as racism is a universal issue that many see and experience”. This year's case required a strong sense of mortality and challenged judicial members to see from multiple viewpoints despite their own beliefs, which happens to be a platform of many convention candidates this year!

Now, let’s dig into the work ethic of these two Judicial members! Lily and Quinn have worked super hard this year, due to the later release of the case packet they told us that it was quite challenging to be prepared, but they felt less nervous knowing that other judicial members were in the same boat, so they were all in it together! Quinn said; “It was very stressful, but you can only do so much. I believe it gives you a real life experience. Since everyone is under the same circumstances, it doesn’t feel unfair or biased, so everyone is starting on somewhat equal footing”. They spent their time prior to the convention meeting up and discussing the case so they could form their arguments. From their first study session to minutes before their last case of the convention, Lily and Quinn were working hard making sure they were as prepared as possible! Quinn and Lily explicitly said, compared to the last convention they felt much more prepared. As second year members of YAG, the team felt that they had more confidence due to their prior knowledge, but even with this they still made sure to prepare as much as possible! Quinn and Lily practiced and received their arguments numerous times before entering the “Courtroom”. Lily stated; “I feel so ready, we have a lot of unique arguments”.

Lily wasn’t lying when she said this! Leia and I spent a chunk of our time watching the trial between Lindbergh and Elsberry, where we saw the strong arguments of both teams. What made it more interesting was the unique questions asked by YAG’s very own Chief Justice Sejel Sekhar! The case went amazing and Lily and Quinns diligent preparations paid off.

Once the court adjourned and the delegates received their feedback they were able to reflect on their performance and assess how their preparations assisted them. They were given numerous compliments on their confidence, strong arguments, and “Very strong rebuttal” by judges Sekhar, Todt, and Newsham. Quinn and Lily even finished with 10 seconds left on the clock! They felt confident about the outcome of the trial as they were able to maintain a calm stance while performing and keep a structured argument. When asked questions during the trial they responded with well constructed responses that contained reasoning which was able to support their side in a well thought and respectful manner. The ability of the delegates to keep their composure and perform with thought made it evident that not being intimidated by the trial and of opponents is a key to doing well. It was also stressed that with the proper ability to prepare, it was made easier to create a thought out argument with a clear deep understanding of the case with all its viewpoints and is extremely important in order to do well at trial.

The preparations that they made had a large impact on how well they did. Emphasizing practice and going through the motions of the trial prior to it was huge in improving confidence and strengthening the argument. As second year youth and government students, they were able to have more of a grasp and an understanding for what they needed to do in order to perform well. They explained that the whole process has room for improvement, especially when it comes to making sure that beginners are properly prepared. If the delegates had known what they currently do about the process that members of the judicial branch go through in their first year, they believe that they could have done better and had more room for improvement. Similarly to some attorney general candidates, they suggested ways to combat this first timer struggle by being sure to provide links to helpful resources and examples of a trial through social platforms.

The relentless work that the members of the judicial branch continue to push through is very evident. It can be easily seen that extreme preparation greatly pays off for those competing. Despite the competitive nature of the branch, members are still able to find enjoyment in what they do and the arguments they create. Taking a closer look at this process has helped us value and understand the hard work of judicial members more.