Plano West Mock Trial auditions were held on September 2nd at Haggard Library and on September 4th at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Mock Trial is a student-led club that acts out civil and criminal trial cases at statewide competitions every year. The team is composed of attorneys, who are responsible to play both prosecutors and defenders, and witnesses, who play a specific character involved in the case. 

Samantha Kim, co-captain of the team, acquired the role of a witness this year. This is a role she is familiar with as she’s held it since she began performing in mock trial.

“Being a witness has so much to it, from character acting to extemporaneous speaking,” Kim said, “It’s a catch-all job that pairs and counters an attorney, and it carries the story of the case.”

The assigned roles allow the imitation of a court case to feel similar to a real-life trial experience. Every character plays a big part in that regardless of how much they say or do.

“My favorite thing about mock trial is seeing the entire case come together. Seeing everyone on the team begin to pull their part and to weave an unbreakable case, on both sides, gives me so much joy,” Kim said.

The results for the auditions were released on September 9. Everyone who auditioned either got the role they auditioned for or were assigned another position within the team.

“Of course while I would definitely appreciate being an attorney, no matter my role on the team, the excitement remains the same.” Sophia Zhu, a Paralegal on the team, said.

Zhu had also wished to be an attorney, but ended up playing a witness. The unexpected role brought her many surprises, yet she is excited to continue taking on new challenges in Mock Trial.

“Something similar happened last year,” Zhu said. “Likewise, I believe being a paralegal this year is an opportunity for me to take on a position that can contribute to my team in a different way.”