Jenna Petrungaro
Beginning my senior year as a co-president of Mock Trial, I was fortunate to have two great opportunities that make the dream of attending the Albany conference more of a reality.
At the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. I experienced what it was like to be a criminal attorney and came face to face with actual criminals. Being the youngest among attorneys, college interns, and law school interns was definitely intimidating; but regardless, it was an amazing experience. I learned so much about criminal justice and the act of compromising with judges and other attorneys. I was also accepted into the Mock Trial Summer Institute on Lake George through the New York State Bar Association. I made so many wonderful friends and learned a lot about arguing law as well as working in teams.
I expanded my knowledge of law through trial and error. Taking risks allowed me to become confident and determined in my decisions. I look forward to using these experiences from this summer to help me succeed in the upcoming Mock Trial season.
Jennifer Raffaele
This summer I had the privilege of spending ten days in Washington D.C. during the the National Student Leadership Conference. NSLC hosts several different programs at various colleges each summer. I joined sixty-four other students from all over the country in the Law and Advocacy Program. For ten days we lived like college students in the dorms of American University. We spent time in lectures, learning about mock trials and seeing what it takes to be an attorney.
College students who had participated in mock trials when they were in high school taught us classes, and we even took classes from defense attorney Cynthia Goode Works. I met friends that I’ll have forever and learned new strategies and techniques in the courtroom as a mock trial attorney.
I look forward to sharing these methods with the rest of the mock trial team at school. I had the experience of a lifetime in Washington D.C. and am excited for our Mock Trial team at school to get started this year!
Megan Musachio
Getting accepted into the New York State Bar Association Mock Trial Summer Institute was a dream come true. In order to be a successful member of the MHS Mock trial team, I knew I had to try and absorb as much information as I could in hopes of making it to Albany. Working with forty other students from different backgrounds and mock trial programs really opened my eyes to new styles of law. In addition to this camp, I had the pleasure of working in the Suffolk County District Attorney Office throughout the summer. During my time there, I witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly: I saw what it was like to be a prosecutor and I learned how to handle different environments. Both the camp and the internship gave me vital skills that will help me improve my techniques for the upcoming Mock Trial season.
Rebecca Girardin
Mock Trial is an essential part of my high school experience, and this summer I was able to continue learning about the legal system. I was fortunate enough to intern at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office under Assistant District Attorney Brandon Draper. Each day I would learn something new about the life of an an attorney, such as a new sophisticated way to argue an idea or the mountainous amount of prep work that attorneys need to put in for each trial. Not only did I experience the daily life of a criminal prosecutor, but I also met inspirational attorneys who taught me lessons about working with other people under different circumstances.
During the internship, I was able to witness different stages in the criminal justice system, such as the arraignment process or the settlement of a trial date. I was even lucky enough to witness a real trial and observe the attorney’s objections, opening and closing statements, and his questioning of the witnesses. While observing all of the attorneys, I was able to learn about different styles of advocacy that I cannot wait to share with the rest of the Mock Trial team. I learned so much during this hands-on experience, and I cannot thank Mr. Daniel Bachman and Mr. Draper enough for giving me this opportunity. I can hardly wait for the 2013-2014 Mock Trial season to begin so the team can make it all the way to Albany!