The fate of a trial lies in your hands. As the Mock Trial Club joins the list of clubs Dominion has to offer, students will be given the opportunity to participate in a trial competition for a real-life court case that happened. The club is perfect for anyone who is interested in law, or pursuing a career in law, and will focus on analyzing court cases, learning about being a lawyer, and how the judicial system works.

The first club meeting was December 13th. The next meeting is Friday, January 28th at 4:45, and future meetings will be held once a week after school over Zoom. Judges Lorrie Ann Sinclair Taylor and Judge Matthew Snow, from the Loudoun County General District Court, will be coaching the club’s members on how to prepare for the competition, how cases work, and more.

Participating in their first official competition on February 5th, the club will be split into groups and placed on defense and prosecution teams. They will compete against other high schools in the area, presenting a case in “court” where attorneys and Judges will come to a final ruling.

The court case that the competition will be based on has been released, and club members will be studying the case and it’s witnesses in order to build a case.

Brooke Frishman changed schools this year and decided to bring the club to Dominion after participating in it at Battlefield HS where she attended last year. “My favorite part was meeting new people and sharing ideas. It was really good having firsthand experience with an actual lawyer. I learned something new from him every day,” Frishman explained.

Members have a few options to choose what position or involvement they want to take on in the club, such as an attorney, witness, jury, or paralegal. 

The club’s activities will include “practicing giving the opening statements and cross examining and questioning witnesses, and preparing your witness—a lot of practice, fun, and learning,” Frishman said. 

Caelan Jones (Co-Editor in Chief of DHS Press) is the vice president of the club alongside Frishman. “I’m just excited to be able to do it because I’ve always liked public speaking, and I’ve thought about maybe doing law in the future.” Jones said.

“You learn a lot, and it really helps you decide if you want to pursue a career in law, or if that’s something you’re interested in.” Frishman added.

If you’re interested in joining, the schoology code is: WHPS-3HG5-395QJ.