On Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, in room C302, Bel Air High School’s brand new Mock Trial club will hold their first meeting.

If you are unfamiliar with what a mock trial is, it  is an act or imitation trial used to simulate an actual court experience. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or experiment with different approaches.

Mr. Austing, sponsor of the club, stated, “Three teams of Bel Air students will get the chance to compete at the local district court here in Bel Air. It’ll be the same case over and over again that they debate. They do this twice a month, and ultimately they get the chance to take the case to a state competition in Annapolis against Baltimore County students in early 2016.”

Utilizing this practice in Bel Air High School will not only help students improve their knowledge of this exercise, but also help prospective students who may be interested in a career of this nature decide whether or not they’d be interested in pursuing a future in the law.

“I think the Mock Trial is a great opportunity for students to present, and also opens up a lot of career opportunities,” says Austing. “There will be real lawyers involved to coach the students, which is great for anyone interested in studying law. This is the first time in my years teaching that Bel Air has had anything like it, and I’m excited for it. I mean, law is a major part of our government.”

Go see what Mock Trial is all about!