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Social Science Department: The Mock Trial Club Is Thriving

December 7, 2022

The SHSID Mock Trial Club was established in 2020. In just two years, it has become a popular choice for high school students to get in touch with legal knowledge in addition to the Introduction to Law course, and won the honor of Five Star Club in the second semester of the 2021 school year. During the club activities after class every Tuesday and many spare hours, the club is committed to popularizing legal knowledge to students who are curious and interested in law, especially the rules of evidence in court trials, defense strategies and oral expression. It helps students to improve their comprehensive ability in the field of humanities and social sciences from a legal perspective.

On the basic level, students learn the basic rules of a court trial, so that they can understand the whole process and participate effectively. They need to understand the difference between civil and criminal trials, court etiquette, different standards of proof, and the logic of judges' decision-making. On a higher level, participants need to play the roles of lawyers or witnesses to obtain a judgment in their favors. Among them, playing the role of a lawyer is particularly challenging. The participant needs to sort out the case and evidence, and understand the law to form a convincing defense strategy. And she must also accurately apply the rules of evidence to challenge the flaws in the opposing side's direct/cross-examination and other statement, such as hearsay, character evidence, etc. This requires quick response and meticulous logical reasoning. High-level mock trial preparation and practice also help the participants to form a sound understanding of legal principles, a refinement of the reasoning of landmark cases, and an awareness of the complexity of the real world.

In order to allow members to get more exercise and improvement, on top of the regular club activities, the club held its first on-campus "Mid-Semester Competition" at the end of November 2022. This on-campus practice competition was based on an adapted classic case. It was carefully designed to allow the lawyers and the witnesses to gain plenty room to hone their skills and show their talents. The members who were divided into two teams worked hard for pre-trial preparations and played their roles with passion and creativity, showing their rapid improvement earned from the club activities this semester.

The SHSID Mock Trial Club sincerely looks forward to students at all levels who are interested in law and debate to join this big family, where the members explore and simulate the real legal world, and use reason and evidence to convince and persuade each other.

(Written/Pictures by Social Science Department Reviewed by Qian Zuo)