CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS—After our mock trial team completed their UIL competition, the courtroom artist, senior Reagan Uhl, advanced to the state competition. This is only Uhl’s second time competing so it was new to her to advance the way she did, especially being the only person on the mock trial team to do so.
“Last year was my first time competing, and I didn’t realize how much I’d grown as an artist until I put my pieces side by side. I’d gone in with the mindset that I would do my best and make it to state, but by the time awards came I’d convinced myself I wouldn’t,” said Uhl. “I’m really grateful for my teammates, who never stopped hyping me up! I’m so incredibly excited to be advancing to state, it feels unreal.”
In the UIL Mock Trial competition, the courtroom artist sits in the jury box and observes each trial. It’s the job of the artist to portray each round’s events through their sketch. There are two rounds and usually, the second round ends up being the chosen sketch. Once closing statements are said, time’s up and it’s time for the artist to submit their piece.
“During opening statements, I try to start with a rough sketch of the courtroom. The first witness on the stand always ends up being my subject, as it gives me the most time to color and shade later,” said Uhl.
A very fun part of mock trial is the post-competition process, in which the competition loosens up. Much like an actual trial, the environment inside the courtroom can be tense and stressful so after the competition, each competitor gets the chance to meet the others and form relationships.
“Getting the chance to talk to our own side after each round is a blast too—after an hour or two of silence, we get to talk about our favorite objections and witness moments! Honestly, though, the best part is when we start making “your honor” jokes—is it really mock trial if you’re not making a courtroom joke every 2 seconds?” said Uhl.
Every year, mock trial scrambles to have enough students to fill all the roles needed for competition. Even this year, the team had a minimum number of six. Multiple witnesses had to play two or more roles and attorneys were overworked.
“Whether or not you’re considering law as a career, the experience is like no other. Being in that courtroom really helps you grow confidence, as well as professionalism. You learn a lot more than you’d think. Mock trial is so much fun, and I encourage anyone interested to talk to Mrs. Findling and involved next year!” said Uhl.
Most of the mock trial team is in theatre, giving them acting experience where needed, but also branching them out of their comfort zones. The competition is structured like a real trial, with two schools going against each other in a case, causing the students to do a lot of reaching, especially given their short-staffedness.
“I’m really proud of how far this team has come. Nora, Josh, and Carson did an incredible job as attorneys- they kept their cool, even when they faced some very intimidating schools. Our witnesses, Alexis, Scottie, and Lynn were no joke! They would not budge no matter how hard the other attorneys tried to back them into a corner. Maddie and Addy, our timekeeper and witness alternate, were so supportive of everyone, and were a blast to hang out with throughout the day!” said Uhl.
