Few can match the exceptional work ethic of Huntington High School’s mock trial team members, who devote an enormous number of hours to mastering the intricate legal case material and nuances of the roles they are chosen to play in courtroom battles against opposing Suffolk squads.
Year-after-year the Blue Devils have traditionally fielded on of the county’s finest teams and the 2021 version appears to be equally talented.
“We have been working extremely hard as our first competition is less than a month away,” Jillian LoTurco said. “On February 4 we will go up against Stony Brook, which has done very well in previous years, but I have no doubt that all our hard work will pay off. We have been meeting virtually for many hours each week and whether a member is assigned a role as a lawyer, witness, bailiff or a timekeeper, each is extremely important. Although we lost many talented seniors last year, we gained a new group of students who are very determined to succeed and make it far in the competition.”
Local attorneys and district residents Xavier Palacios and John LoTurco are the team’s volunteer legal advisors. The duo puts in a remarkable amount of time sharpening the skills of the Blue Devils. Suzie Biagi is the squad’s faculty advisor, handling details behind the scenes to help make everything run smoothly.
“Our mock trial team is coming together very well given the circumstances,” Ashley Genao said. “We have had and will continue having multiple individual and team meetings to help us perfect our skills and to really know our case material so we can each of the competitions. I believe that each of the attorneys and witnesses chosen are going to do great. Mr. LoTurco and Mr. Palacios have been amazing mentors as they have been really helping us through this process. The mock trial team is going to do amazing for our upcoming competition and the ones after that! I can’t wait to see the team to continue to grow and flourish this year.”
The Blue Devils simply love the challenge of going into a courtroom battle with equally talented teenagers from opposing schools. They need to carefully prepare, never cut corners and think quickly on their feet.
“Preparation is well under way for our season, which starts in three weeks,” Emily Geller said. “All team members are working tirelessly on their roles, whether it be attorneys, witnesses or backups. Our dynamic as a group is really special because everyone is extremely driven to take the county and state titles. The first team we will be opposing Stony Brook and we will be taking the side of the defense. I am an attorney for both sides this year so I am beyond excited to put my skills to the test and challenge myself like never before. I am confident in our abilities as individuals and as a team. Although this is an unprecedented season given the virtual aspect, we are not willing to let that get in our way.”
No opponent ever underestimates Huntington and with good reason. The Blue Devils have proven themselves time after time in big matches over the years.
The mock trial team is looking great,” Christopher Maichin said. “Although this year is unlike any other, going completely virtual for our competitions, the team has been able to adapt and work out the virtual kinks. We have all been working extremely hard at understanding the case and preparing for our first competition. Everyone has put in long hours of hard work and preparation and we are ready for it to pay off. But we aren’t done yet! There is still a lot of work to be done and I am confident that we will make it far this year and will have a great opportunity to compete for a state championship.”