1st

Before the official event days started, the organizer sent the link to our group chat so we knew who our teammates were and divided our roles for the trial. My role for the claimant was a closing statement. I went through the material they gave and also asked a teacher who had experience with mock trials for some advice and tips. After reading the problem and case, I summarized the consensus of this case, and also to know more about the proceedings of the mock trial court, I watched a lot of YouTube videos about the process of the mock trial, tips for closing statements, and past mock trials. 

2nd

The first day of the mock trial is mostly preparation, getting to know your teammates, and getting to know more about the court process, and an introduction to law. There were two lawyers from a law firm, Roschier, who came to the events to give a lecture about the courtroom process and also tips for our pleading. After the lecture, it is group preparation time for the case. After the first day, I learned a lot about how the law works and different court processes. I also met some of my learning outcomes, which were getting out of my comfort zone, meeting new people, and working with people that I had never known before, which also helped me to improve my collaboration and communication skills.

3rd

The second day of the mock trial is the official trial day. During the first 45 minutes of the event day, a lawyer from the Supreme Court came to give a speech and share the process of the Supreme Court, also telling us some tips and advice when having a speech, and things to avoid. We had two trials on the second day. Before the trial started, our team went through the pleading together. The trial was an hour long, our first trial went pretty well and smoother than we expected. After the first trial, the tribunals gave us some feedback, and from there, we will try to improve our speech. In the second trial, I was less nervous and more prepared for the trial. During our trial, our team provided a very strong argument that left the judge and the other team speechless. 

4th

Overall, after this CAS experience, I stepped out of my comfort zone to try new things, I learned a lot about law, the mock trial process, and how to give a powerful speech and arguments that helped us to win the case. In the end, we won both trials, with a total score of 170, which brought us very close to winning the best team performance. My individual score was 28/40, and there is always room for improvement, but for now, I am very proud of my performance. This experience also enhanced my confidence in public speaking and communication skills.