Northern Valley Demarest’s Mock Trial team made an impressive run to the Bergen County Finals, a testament to the team’s hard work and dedication. In only their second year of rebuilding, the team exceeded all expectations by upsetting many of the top ranked teams in the county.
“We came in last year as a new team. And honestly, going into the season, I expected us to be [near the bottom] for the rest of the season, because that’s where we were last year,” senior and captain Hannah Cohen said. “We all came into it completely new. We have to learn law, [and] like, pages and pages of work. It’s really up to each individual member of the team to pull their weight and, like, do their research.”
For those unfamiliar with the competition, mock trial is a rigorous event where students take on the roles of witnesses and attorneys in a simulated courtroom.
“Basically, it’s like a normal trial where a witness will go up in the stand and an opposing attorney will ask you questions in order to try to basically make you look less credible. You have to defend yourself and your side, whether you’re the plaintiff or the defense, in order to try to win the case,” senior Hugh Higgason said. “The team has both a plaintiff and defense team. Half of us work on plaintiff, [the other] half of us on defense. Then from there, we alternate on who competes each week.”
Although a few team members had some prior experience, this year marked the team’s first civil case, as the competition alternates each season.
“This is a civil case that we’re doing this year, which flip-flops every year between civil and criminal,” junior Cassandra Vega said. “You have the plaintiff, a woman [with] a show dog, that unfortunately passed away. And she believes that the cause of death was caused by a company called Petzicon. Then you have the defense, which is the company, denying any liability.”
While the case presents its own unique challenges, Vega highlights the difficulties that come with being a witness.
“The biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome was to learn all the facts in my affidavit and just trying to embody a character that I didn’t really like in the beginning,” Vega said. “It’s not necessarily like acting, it’s more just like knowing facts and how to defend yourself against attorneys and people of an opposing team.”
After an unfortunate loss to the highly ranked Bergen Catholic in the preliminary rounds, the team and many members’ first official competition, NVD barely squeezed into the playoffs, seeding 15 out of 16 qualifying teams. However, as the postseason approached, Attorney Captain Hannah Cohen faced a schedule conflict, forcing sophomore Joanne Shen to step in at the last minute representing the team as a plaintiff attorney.
“I was [initially] an alternate attorney [and was] definitely nervous [to compete]. Hannah, Dylan and I met multiple times over the few days left before the competition where we changed our argument, rewrote the opening/closing statement. It was a lot for Dylan and I to memorize in the short amount of time we had,” Shen said. “Thank you Hannah for teaching me everything I know! I’m so happy that our team came this far.”
In the first round, NVD defeated the highly ranked Indian Hills, laying the groundwork for continued success.
“[In the playoffs], we actually made it into the second round,” Cohen said. “And at that point, I know I was like, oh, we might actually have a shot at this. Let’s see how far we can get. Now, in no way did I expect us to beat top seeded teams immediately.”
Following the team’s victory as the plaintiff in the first round, the responsibility then fell to the defense to help the team advance. As freshman Sophia Saroufeem looked back on the defense team’s progress, she emphasized the hard work and unity that fueled their success, specifically mentioning Celine Diskaya, the first freshman to earn a core attorney role.
“Look at Celine. She’s working so hard. Like, she’s an attorney, a freshman attorney. She’s working, and she never stops,” Saroufeem said. “Everyone [on this team] is always working hard, everyone contributing, and it’s so nice to be part of a dedicated team, you know what I mean?”
Similarly, Diskaya reflected on her own experience, acknowledging the challenges of being the youngest core member on the team.
“I’d say it’s a bit scary because I’m one of the youngest ones there. But I guess it gives me an opportunity to grow because I started so young,” Diskaya said.
Faced with numerous challenges, including extensive preparation, memorization, and thinking on their feet, the team put in an immense amount of effort ultimately defeating Ramapo High School. NVD’s Mock Trial coach and advisor Joseph McCallister commented on the team’s dedication and growth.
“The kids on the team, when push came to shove, when they were actually competing, all pulled it together,” McCallister said. “And it’s always like that: that moment at the beginning of the year where we have our first competition, where you’re not sure if everything’s gelling, but then you see that it does. And it’s always impressive to see how much work the mock trial team puts into getting ready, whether I’m standing there or not.”
Along with the team’s hard work, this season also featured significant bonding experiences that brought them closer together.
“We always get pizza, which is really fun, and bus debriefs [too]. Also, we make TikToks with…everyone on the team. It’s just, like, a really fun time, and it’s super duper cute,” Higgason said. “I just never really would have connected with [these people] if it wasn’t for mock trial and I’m really glad I did because everyone has their own personality to shine through. I think it’s a really great time to kind of see all these people who I don’t think would ever interact just come together like this, it’s just really sweet to see.”
Soon, the plaintiff team triumphed over Noble Leadership Academy, securing their spot in the Bergen County finals. Sophomore Josephine Choi, the youngest returning member, reflects on the team’s progress and how the bonding experiences enhanced their chemistry during competitions.
“It’s really impressive how, last year, we didn’t even make it to the playoffs, and this year we’re going to the finals. I think that’s a huge improvement,” Choi said. “I love the team dynamic, how everyone’s so close together, and how everyone is able to kind of like rely on each other, and be dependent, and just the team energy is just incredible.”
Junior Jiada Guevarra expressed gratitude to the current seniors for guiding the team and sharing their experience.
“It was my first year on the team. I think with the help of the attorneys and the captains, you could see that they were really committed. I got better through them,” Guevarra said. “All the seniors were really helpful. They’re doing a great job passing [their experience] down.”
Junior and captain Meesum Panjwani is excited to continue with the team and work hard next year, looking forward to taking on the responsibilities of the current seniors when he assumes the role himself.
“I think people are going to continue working hard in the future. We’re going to continue performing well, um, you know, carrying on the legacy of the captains that went before us and that were, you know, excellent really,” Panjwani said.
Building on the idea of growth, Cohen shares how much she gained from the experience and encourages others to try out next year.
“I do want to go into law, [but] the main thing I learned about mock trial is, whether you’re an attorney or you’re a witness, you are performing. You’re trying to relate to normal people on a human level so that they can understand and like you. So that’s the biggest lesson I learned in this, and I hope to take that with me,” Cohen said. “Everyone should join Mock Trial because the more people that know what they’re doing, the less work it is every year, and the more it gets focused on how much fun being in a courtroom is.”
