For eight days they researched the case and practiced, sometimes staying up till the early hours of the morning “Teams-ing” with each other as they prepared to be witnesses, prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Day nine was totally worth it, according to the high school students in the 2022 Summer Law and Trial Institute (SLTI). Their work culminated with an in-person mock trial on Ohio University’s Athens campus, where students presented their cases in front of Athens County Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Zachary Saunders.
“The best part of the institute was the capstone mock trial,” said Reya Singh, a senior at Marysville High School and prosecuting attorney in the summer program. “I was able to work alongside some of the most intelligent people I have ever met. My team and I would stay up until 2-3 a.m. the week of the mock trial and prepare together. To see it all pay off was the best feeling in the world. We formed such amazing friendships and have talked every day since the program ended. I am just so grateful for such a supportive community where I was able to grow my skills and further my interest in law.”
The Summer Law & Trial Institute was run under a hybrid model this year, in which students had the opportunity to learn virtually from current pre-law students and alumni, practicing attorneys, and even Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. This year’s case, "New Columbia v. Chris Archer," involved the defendant being accused of first-degree...
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