On most afternoons, Room 110 doesn’t look like a courtroom.
There’s no judge’s bench or jury box.
Just students scattered across desks with binders, laptops, and highlighted case files.
But once practice begins, the room fills with objections, cross-examinations and opening statements as members of the Normal West Mock Trial team transform their classroom into a courtroom.
After months of preparation, the varsity Mock Trial team is now preparing to head to the state competition in Springfield on Mar. 14.
Mock Trial simulates a real courtroom case, with students taking on roles of attorneys and witnesses to argue both sides of a fictional trial.
But before competitions ever begin, most of the work happens during long practices spent analyzing the case.
“The majority of what we do is read, think, discuss, and write,” head coach John Bierbaum said. “Only then can we actually do the fun part…which is competing.”
Early practices focus on breaking down the complicated case and developing arguments. As the season progresses, practices become more active as the team begins running full trials against one another.
“I think if someone walked in early in the season, they might think it’s kind of boring,” Bierbaum said. “It’s just a lot of the heavy lifting to understand this pretty complicated case.”
One of the biggest changes for the Mock Trial team this season has been its size.
With around 40 members, including lots of incoming freshmen, the program has grown significantly compared to previous years.
Despite the large roster, the team has improved together throughout the season.
“Somehow our team has been able to go to the next level across the entire board,” Bierbaum stated. “We have amazing leadership from upperclassmen and super hardworking underclassmen.”
That combination has helped newer members quickly learn the demands of Mock Trial while experienced competitors guide them through practices and competitions.
“Everyone on the team has really improved together this season,” Bierbaum noted.
Senior Anna Davitt said the growth has been noticeable even within the varsity team.
“At the start of the season it was kind of rough,” Davitt said. “But we’ve gotten to the point where I feel like we’re pretty strong.”
For the defense team, growth this season has come through both experience and teamwork.
Junior Jordan Stovall, a returning competitor, said one of the biggest skills he developed this season was learning how to make objections more confidently during trials.
“Objections were definitely a steep learning curve for me,” Stovall said. “But now things flow a little bit more easily, and I feel confident in what I’m saying when I make an objection.”
Stovall has also taken on a leadership role by mentoring newer members on the team.
“When you’re teaching freshmen who have never heard these terms before, it really tests how much you know,” Stovall stated. “If you can teach it to someone else, that means you really understand it.”
Senior Raya Radoslavova said preparing for her first state competition has been both challenging and rewarding.
“It was pretty stressful at first, but now it’s getting really fun,” Radoslavova said. “There’s a lot of energy around it.”
Together, the two say their different experiences help strengthen the defense team’s strategy.
“She brings a new perspective to things that I might think I already have figured out,” Stovall said.
The plaintiff team has also experienced major growth throughout the season.
According to senior Anna Davitt, the case this year has been particularly challenging for the plaintiff side.
“The fact pattern this year is pretty difficult,” Davitt said. “A lot of the plaintiff side is new to these roles, so it took some work to get there.”
Despite those challenges, the team continued improving with each competition.
“We’ve grown a lot as a team,” Davitt said.
First-year competitor Joey Smyder said the experience of learning Mock Trial for the first time has been rewarding.
“It’s been great so far,” Smyder said. “I’ve really enjoyed competing in the tournaments.”
During the season, Smyder even had to completely rebuild his witness testimony after an early competition.
“We basically had to start from scratch and work our way through each trial,” Smyder added.
Beyond the courtroom arguments, many team members say the supportive environment of Mock Trial has been the key to their growth.
Students frequently mentor younger teammates and encourage one another during both practices and competitions.
“We try to make it a safe space where everyone feels like they have a place to learn and grow,” Davitt added.
Stovall mentioned that during trials, he often writes encouraging notes to his teammates while waiting for their turn to speak.
“We all really want to see each other succeed,” Radoslavova said.
Biebaum describes the group as more than just a team.
“We’re kind of like a big dysfunctional family,” Bierbaum said. “We laugh a lot and they really respect one another.”
After months of preparations, the team will finally travel to the state.
The program has already seen success in recent years, finishing second at state two years ago and third last year.
“Our goal is to make finals,” Bierbaum mentioned. “No matter who we go against, we have a really great shot this year.”
For many competitors, however, the season has already been defined by how much the team has grown together.
“I’m excited for the team to give our last and best performance,” Radoslavova said.
After a season spent learning the case, mentioning teammates, and refining their arguments, the team is ready to make its case one final time.
