Andover Mock Trial Takes Fourth in National Competition

July 29, 2008 — The Andover Mock Trial Club, with only five members, placed fourth in the Learning for Life National Mock Trial Competition. The competition, held from July 23 to July 27 in Lowell and Boston, Massachusetts, pitted teams from across the country against one another to see who could best perform in roles as attorneys and witnesses. Although the Phillips Academy team was the smallest competing, they were the only team to argue both sides of the case.

The Learning for Life National Mock Trial Competition was only the group’s second time entering an inter-scholastic competition but the PA students held their own against teams from Chicago, IL and host city Lowell, MA.

Club co-presidents Alex Gottfried and Rob Buka served as attorneys, while Andi Zhou, Shefali Lohia, and Stephen Levy played the role of witnesses. All five competed admirably, and Andi Zhou was honored with two awards for his performance as a witness—a second place award for his portrayal as defense witness Andre Dumas, and a first place award for his role as prosecution witness Rene Dupree. Overall, the competition was an excellent learning experience, and the club looks to build on this success when they return to campus in the fall.