On Jan. 24, 2017, Niles North’s Mock Trial team competed at the fourth annual North Suburban Mock Trial Tournament at Skokie Circuit Courthouse, a competition hosted by Niles West’s Mock Trial Coach, Jason Stanford.

“We did really well,” Senior Neha Chandani began, “we performed much better than last year.” Just a three year old club, Niles North’s Mock Trial team, coached by Humanities teacher Pankaj Sharma, has been working tirelessly to step up their game and approach 2017 with a competitive mindset. “As a team, we’re starting to function better as one unit,” Chandani added.

Niles North competed against Niles West and Main West, with scores yet to be released.

That being said, no one questioned the strength of Niles North’s performance. “The team worked really well together under tense conditions,” Coach Sharma explained.

The Mock Trial team already has its eyes set on the upcoming April state competition hosted by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. State was where the team really took soar last year, as the team competed at a very serious level.

“State is the best of the best,” Chandani explained, “and we want to be regarded as the best.”

“I’m excited to see us improve our arguments and our strategies, and I’m excited to see some of our younger team members grow into their roles and gain confidence.” Sharma added.

Anyone interested in pursuing a career in the legal field, looking for a competitive and argumentative environment, or wanting to enhance their public speaking skills is urged to come out for Mock Trial. Mock Trial meets every Monday after school, in 2120, and new members are always welcome.

Featured image by TSL Law