By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — There are a couple of future lawyers and doctors, a potential police officer and a real estate agent, and a few more who haven’t yet made up their minds on a career.

Even so, the group of seventh- and eighth-graders on Peter Lehouritas’ mock trial team from Slater Junior High School put all their focus on the legal system and came away undefeated in the recent state competition against 25 other schools.
It’s the fourth year in a row that a team from Slater Junior High, under coaching by Lehouritas, has won ’em all in the state mock trial competition. The public school has consistently performed well in this competition over the last decade, beating many of its private school counterparts.
Another city school, Goff Junior High, also had a mock trial team that was undefeated in this year’s competition, a feat accomplished by the school last year as well.
The mock trial competition, sponsored by the Rhode Island Legal Educational Partnership, offers students the chance to experience what it is like to see a legal case argued and tried before a jury in a real courtroom.
Using information supplied about a mock case, the students assume the various roles of lawyers, witnesses and rules experts, then present their case before an actual judge. They are graded on their performance by attorneys who rank them on a point system.
The hypothetical case the students had to argue in Providence Superior Court concerned a civil action filed by one female soccer player against another over an injury incurred in a semifinal playoff game between Pleasantville and Centreville high schools. The plaintiff alleged she she had suffered severe back injuries as the result of negligence and excessive force on the part of the defendant. The mock trial team performs twice, representing the plaintiff, then the defense.
Among the dozen students on the team, the “lawyers” were Daniela Elsaw, Cameron Bryce, Aubrey Sneesby, Audrey Girard and Ariana Reis, while the “witnesses” were Irina Kreshchuk, Catlin Salisbury, Laura Caro, Saskia Morgan and Alexandria Alves. Nicole Navarro played a dual role as lawyer and witness. and William Depina-Domes served as the “rules expert.”
As in a play, the students were asked to immerse themselves in their assigned roles. They had to memorize lines and educate themselves about all aspects of the case so they could employ strategies and stand up under “questioning.”
“I ask them to try and become that person,” Lehouritas said.
Lehouritas, who teaches geography, credits his team for their hard work and dedication to their roles, noting that they began practicing back in December to prepare for the two-part competition in April. He views his role as coach to be “pushing them through what they think their limitations are. I try to force them to break out of their shells and be better than they think they can be.”
The students agreed, with nearly all saying they experienced the jitters that come from being on the courtroom stage, as well as the pressure about performing their roles well enough to win the case.
“We practiced a lot, but it makes us better. It was worth it,” Catlin Salisbury said.
The mock trial team typically met for after-school practice two days a week. As the competition grew closer, the sessions lengthened, sometimes running until 5 or 6 p.m.; team members also came in for practice during school vacations.
Joining Lehouritas as assistant coach was Alison Gifford, an eighth-grade special needs teacher at Slater who participated in mock trial competitions herself as a high school student in upstate New York.
Gifford, who made it to the Empire State finals twice, sees the program as an exercise in self-esteem. “When they see they can do it, it’s a big confidence booster,” she said.
For some students, the role-playing came naturally. Saskia Morgan, who aspires to be a doctor and also has an interest in theater, said she enjoyed it for “the drama.”
For Irina Kreshchuk, the experience helped her overcome an admitted shyness, as she delivered a convincing performance that surprised her classmates and even herself.
Cameron Bryce said the trial further sparked his interest in a law enforcement career he had previously been considering.
Daniela Elsaw, already thinking about becoming an attorney, said the mock trial served to inspire her even further, while Nicole Navarro said, “This kind of got me interested in being a lawyer.”
Lehouritas wanted it known that Slater’s principal, Meredith Caswell. and many members of the faculty are strong supporters of the mock trial team. He notes that several Slater grads who participated in years past drop by to help out.
The school has been involved in the mock trial competition since 1998. Over the years, many younger siblings joined the team after hearing about the experience from an older brother or sister. “There are a lot of legacies with mock trial here,” noted Lehouritas.
The students will be attending an awards banquet on May 8, an expense that Caswell sponsors, when will find out where they rank among the other undefeated teams. Last year they came in second overall. Lehouritas is hoping that this might be Slater’s turn at the number one spot.