experience - not mine. i am in awe of what jordan has been able to accomplish in his 7 years at cha. yesterday he participated in a mock trial competition. when the school first approached him about being on the team, he was unsure. we talked about it and went over the, "you'll never know if you like it unless you try." he decided to take on the challenge.
the school had never done anything like this before. everyone was coming into this with little knowledge or experience. we had two advisors that are attorneys to help them and the social studies teacher, who we all love. it was an elective that met once a week. jordan wanted to try out for a prosecuting attorney, and he was chosen along with two 8th grade students. i was in awe. he brought home the binder of information that he had to learn. the case, the rules, the requirements. they were supposed to have the information on instant recall. after a few weeks they started adding saturday meetings. it seemed like there would be more information than they had anticipated. i started getting nervous that they were in over their heads, but they kept on going. and i was in awe. jordan would study and practice his lines. he had 2 witnesses for direct examination and 2 witnesses for cross examination. he had to keep everything straight in his notes and in his mind. and they practiced, and practiced and practiced. we borrowed a suit from a friend of his and they had a dress rehearsal the day before in front of a real judge. and the reaction was good. but the test, or competition, was still to come.
yesterday they took a bus from school to the superior court of los angeles. i dropped andrew and sofia with bob and d in burbank and headed to downtown l.a. with my parents and sister. and the courthouse was in full mock trial mode with kids dressed in suits and carrying around boards with maps and injury drawings. and i was so nervous. i look over at jordan who is writing his notes and talking to the real lawyers and i was in awe. i asked him if he was nervous and he said, "not really" while i had sweaty palms and a huge knot in my stomach. we waited over an hour before entering the court room. we were up against another private school from the valley who has been doing this competition for a few years. everyone took their places and the trial began.
i have to admit that i sunk down in my seat barely able to watch the proceedings. it didn't start off well for us. as soon as the other team started talking it was evident that we were the newbies and they were the old pros. but the case moved on and jordan was amazing. asking questions that he had rehearsed and taking on the challenge of questioning their witnesses without knowing what the response would be. and i was in awe.
in the end, the judge congratulated both teams for their efforts. he pointed out jordan in particular for some of his questioning and how he restated the fact that he was trying to prove. the scorers complimented his poise and composure. but the funniest part was that the judge pointed out that his 3 piece suit was a good touch. the judge ruled in favor of the prosecution on one count and in favor of the defense on the other. and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
we walked out of the courtroom exhilarated. what an experience for jordan and for all of us. the competition is based on points. you get points for your acting, for knowing the facts, for objecting. they tally the points and the schools that qualify move on to the semi-finals. we do not expect to move on. the other team was quite polished. but our team was outstanding. and we think there will be more to come. jordan can continue to be on the team at cha for 2 more years and some high schools participate in the senior division. sorry mom and dad, jordan does not have a desire to be a lawyer. but this was another unforgettable experience for all of us.
you can learn more about the competition here.
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