Mock Trial Takes Classical Education From Classroom to Courtroom

The varsity mock trial team at Veritas Prep recently brought home the state championship title for the third year in a row. The team, named Atticus after Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, has placed first in the state championships for six out of the last seven years. They will go on to compete at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Des Moines, Iowa, where they will compete against more than 40 teams, including state champions and international teams from countries such as South Korea and Guam.

“Mock trial is pretty similar to speech and debate,” explained senior Henry Powers, co-captain of the team. “However, it’s more legal focused. So, instead of arguing about any sort of topic, you’re arguing a case.” Powers will be entering a pre-law program at Louisiana State University next year.

Head Coach Bill Klain, who is also a Veritas Prep parent and Director at the law firm Fennemore, has seen the teams change from year to year, as seniors graduate and new underclassmen join. Even still, he has seen consistent success from these remarkable students. And he believes he knows the secret to the team’s enduring record. “It’s the curriculum. It’s the only thing I can think of those accounts for this this level of success. Pretty convinced of that at this point.”

Arguing cases comes naturally to these students, who have had years of Socratic seminar in Humane Letters classes, where they learn to think through literature and history, and thoughtfully defend their stance through peer discussion.

“I think using the Socratic method… has really helped me in my mock trial performance and confidence,” shared junior Cassandra Klain. “To learn how to parse through difficult information and be able to convey them properly to other people.” With competing in mock trial, Klain is not only following in the footsteps of her lawyer-father/coach, but also her older sister, Aubrey Klain, who graduated from Veritas Prep in 2024 after being a part of mock trial all four years of high school. As a junior, Cassandra was the recipient or the JusticeMichael Ryan Award for Outstanding Performer, an honor her sister received while competing with Atticus during her senior year.

A new coach to the team this year is Michael Stewart, a Latin teacher at Veritas Prep. Stewart not only has a degree in classics but also holds a law degree. Before coming to teach for Great Hearts this year, Stewart taught Latin and coach a mock trial team at a private all-boys school in Nashville Tennessee for about a decade. Stewarts team even went up against Veritas back in 2022, so he was familiar with their standings coming in.

“The classical education really helps the students in the courtroom and in mock trial and you see this across the country,” explained Stewart. “You look at the national champions for the last decade and many of those schools are classical schools. Whether it’s classical charter or their classical private schools, a lot of classical homeschool groups, that classical education really helps students thrive and a lot of it is the things that they’re doing in [Humane Letters] in terms of critical reading. The writing that they they’re required to do, rhetorical presentations that they’re giving in class, the public speaking skills are all things that contribute to their success in the in thecourtroom.”

They are already hard at work preparing their case for the National competition. Armed with hard work, dedication to the rule of law, and the benefits of a classical education, Team Atticus is ready to continue their winning streak for many years to come. Join Great Hearts in congratulating these amazing scholars and thanking the dedicated professionals who are coaching them.

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