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Our Lady of Mercy students at the table are Max Bechtold and Emily Hall, both eighth-graders; and Missy Amuan, right, in seventh grade. Standing are Peter McShane, an attorney and volunteer coach; and Nancy Addorisio, teacher-coach. (Photo by Lenora Sumsky)

 MADISON – For the sixth time, students at Our Lady of Mercy School have ended up in court and emerged not with records, but with a victory.

A team from the school was named Middle School Mock Trial State Champions at the State Supreme Court in Hartford following the final round of competition in February.

The team prevailed amid robust competition that began in December, when more than 500 students representing 40 teams met for a regional tournament. The team successfully argued, objected, examined and cross-examined throughout five levels of competition.

For seven consecutive years, students from Our Lady of Mercy have made it to Middle School Mock Trial semi-finals. They have been state champions six times.

“We’ve had the reputation of winning in the past,” said Gabrielle Kerins, an eighth-grade student who played the role of lead attorney for the prosecution. “We really try our best and whatever happens, happens.”

The Connecticut Consortium for Law and Citizenship co-sponsors the Mock Trial Program with the Connecticut State Bar Association. It’s a law-related education program that introduces students to the American legal system and provides middle school students with an opportunity to develop and argue a hypothetical legal case.

Nancy Addorisio, who teaches social studies at Our Lady of Mercy, has been the mock trial teacher/coach for nine years. She attributes the team’s success to hard work and preparation.

Teams that begin preparation in October consist of a prosecution team and a defense team with three attorneys and three witnesses for each side.

“I always choose [the team] from eighth grade, first, but they have to have passion, they have to want to do it because it involves a lot of work,” said Mrs. Addorisio, whose team this year included eight eighth-graders and four seventh-graders.

Students meet twice weekly and during three weekends in November to analyze the case and learn courtroom procedure and rules for the competition. They develop opening and closing arguments and prepare themselves to ask or answer questions during competition. Mrs. Addorisio also arranges a field trip to the New Haven or New Britain Superior Courts to help students become comfortable with the courtroom setting where the final rounds of competition take place.

“I give them as much information as possible,” said Mrs. Addorisio. “If [the case] involves forensics, I’ll bring in an expert from the state [forensics lab] to talk about exactly how fingerprints are collected. It gives the kids background information so they can be a lot more confident.”

In prior years when mock trial cases involved computer hackers or chemical explosions, Mrs. Addorisio asked experts to share their knowledge in the context of the case. Students have witnessed explosions in an FBI lab and have met with a reformed computer hacker. These activities broaden students’ understanding of why and how things can happen, which helps them better prepare their cases.

In addition to hard work and preparation, community and school-wide support are key factors for success, said Mrs. Addorisio.

“I couldn’t have done it without the attorneys,” she said. “The kids really have a lot of [legal] questions.”

Over the years, six local attorneys have volunteered to assist in coaching the teams. This year it was Peter McShane, a supervisory state’s attorney.

“Mr. McShane has invaluable courtroom experience; he was humorous and really brought out the best in our students,” said Mrs. Addorisio.

“We [also] have lots of support from parents,” she said. “Lily Molloy and Denise Roberts help students with voice and drama.”

“Drama is a big part of it,” said Miss Kerins. “You have to know how to say things and really get into character.”

Further evidence of outstanding support for the program and the team is the number of parents, grandparents, siblings and former team members that fill the gallery during each competition.

“The mock trial program is such a strength for our school,” said Maryellen Noone, whose son, Rory, was a team witness for the prosecution. “Mrs. Addorisio really engages the kids; it’s incredible what she gets them to do. It’s so awesome to see this group working together; the excitement and enthusiasm comes right through.”

“It’s a very successful civics lesson,” said Mr. McShane. “These kids learn so much. They learn about rights, the arrest process, what happens in court and [the meaning of legal terms].”

“It’s something you can’t pick up out of a textbook,” said Miss Kerins. “You have to live it to really learn what it’s all about. Getting to work with attorneys and really learning about the law was a lot of fun. It’s a great experience. I would recommend it to anyone.”