Today I had the pleasure of spending at UW as a presiding judge at a mock trial contest. This was very interesting and, I hope, useful.
The contestants were undergraduates (not lawyers or law students) who were arguing either side of a mock criminal case. My job was to make clear and understandable rulings on motions and objections (everyone *loved* debating hearsay!) and to keep things rolling along, which I was well equipped to do. Attorneys with actual trial experience did the scoring - a wise division of labor.
I went away feeling very good about the next generation. They had obviously worked hard and struggled to do well, and if their strategic choices were not always the best they seemed willing to learn from mistakes and move on.
I would recommend mock trial judging to any lawyer with a little spare time. It is of course part of our job as members of a civilization to help the next generation move up, but it is also personally satisfying.
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