Over the weekend, the Oak Grove Mock Trial team competed at the North Dakota Mock Trial Competition in Bismarck. They finished in second place – a great feat for the first-time competitors! The team was made up of seven Oak Grove juniors and seniors: Ellie Ahlfeldt, Lauren Holstad, Rhys Runnels, Carolyn DeJong, Taylor Uecker, Beck Ulven, and Aidan Zuger.
The judges also named senior Rhys Runnels as Oak Grove’s Best Attorney and senior Lauren Holstad as Oak Grove’s Best Witness.
The Mock Trial Competition brings together attorneys, judges, students, and teachers from across the state to learn details of trial process and procedure. Students improve communication skills, legal reasoning, critical thinking, and teamwork. Before the competition, students work side by side with practicing attorneys and judges to prepare opening statements, witness examinations, and closing arguments. The students have spent hundreds of hours over the past months learning the rules of criminal procedure and preparing their case.
Thank you to the professionals who volunteered their time to help students!
Several of the students were in Attorney Aubrey Zuger’s Trial Advocacy class. These hands-on experiences give students exposure to potential career fields in a different way then the classroom! The team also worked with real professionals in the field. They would like to thank Attorneys Aubrey Zuger and Peter Zuger for coaching, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Lori Conroy, Clay County District Court Judge Jade Rosenfeldt, Jenny Olson, and Scott Brusven for helping students learn, prepare cases, and receive feedback.
Congratulations on this impressive achievement, Grovers!
