MOCK TRIAL: An extraordinary senior receives a summer mock trial internship as a result of her hard work.
By Dyala Harb, Staff Writer
Mock trial is a club on Poly’s campus in which students play certain roles and imitate the events of a trial. These students work in teams and compete often, with the hopes of gaining a new title and setting new records. Mock Trial helps students better understand systems of law, speak with confidence and critically analyze situations. Poly’s mock trial team is state renowned, annually dominating the competition. For the past four years, Sophia Helfand (12) has been a member of this renowned team, and for her efforts, has been awarded a prized summer mock trial internship.
Helfand has been involved in mock trial since her freshman year, increasing her role on the team and honing her craft with each successive year. This past summer, her mock trial coach, private defense attorney Joshua Hanks, offered her the opportunity to intern under him. Helfand confessed that she was initially uncertain of what to expect from the internship. She stated, “I’ve never done anything like that before, so I didn’t know whether I’d be getting coffee or writing motions for him.” She then explained the details of her experience, revealing that she “watched him in trial, scanned and filed things, met with some of his clients with him and even got to write a motion with some of his help.” She concluded her account of the internship by declaring, “It was really fun and instructional, and I got to watch a lot of trials!”
Through mock trial, some students have gone on to pursue careers in law. When asked if she had any particular interest in pursuing a career in law, Helfand responded that she has not made a definite decision, but explained that “law is definitely a possibility.”
Helfand claimed that participating on Poly’s mock trial team had made her well-prepared for this internship. She explained, “I knew what to wear to work, how to navigate myself around the courthouse and what was going on when I watched trials.” She then indicated that although it was advantageous to have had experience in this field, there were still some concepts she was unfamiliar with before the internship. “There was a lot of legal jargon that I had to pick up on, and I learned the difference between a real trial and a mock trial,” Helfand noted. In the end however, Helfand believed that her mock trial internship was an exceptional opportunity that allowed her to gain experience, learn more about the line of work and grow as an individual.
In addition to her individual success, Helfand’s tremendous work ethic and terrific efforts have influenced others on the mock trial team. “Sophia is dedicated to mock trial and wants to be the best she can be. Everyone can learn from Sophia’s great efforts and the work and time she puts into the team,” teammate Arya Sherafat (10) expressed. Cassidy Ballard (11), a three-year veteran on the mock trial team, has always been impressed with the way Sophia handles herself in the courtroom, even revealing that the entire team calls Sophia the “goddess of mock trial.” Ballard ultimately believes that Helfand performs in a way that is both informative and entertaining to watch. Helfand’s hard work and dedication to mock trial have made this summer internship a well-deserved opportunity for her.