Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana Law Program Hosts First Annual Mock Trial

Seventh grade students traded their classrooms for the courtroom on Wednesday, May 20, as Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana hosted the culminating event of its Law Program at Lake Superior Court.

A total of 78 students from St. Paul Catholic School in Valparaiso and St. Mary Catholic School in Crown Point took on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and jurors as they worked through a realistic, age-appropriate vandalism case. The cases were heard by The Honorable Julie N. Cantrell of Lake Superior Court, County Division III.

Dan Kozlowski, executive director of Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana, said this year marked the inaugural mock trial event and the first year of the organization’s Law Program.

“We call this experiential learning,” Kozlowski said. “It’s an additional program we offer to schools, and St. Mary and St. Paul agreed to pilot it for us this year.”

During the mock trial, students put months of preparation into action by building arguments, questioning witnesses, reviewing evidence, and thinking critically about the facts of the case. The experience also gave them an inside look at courtroom procedures, professionalism, burden of proof, and how attorneys present their arguments.

Student jurors had the opportunity to step into the jury deliberation room to discuss the case and decide on a verdict before returning to the courtroom with their decision.

During the school year, volunteer legal professionals visited classrooms once a month to teach students about the justice system and guide them through the case they would eventually argue in court. Kozlowski thanked attorneys F. Joseph Jaskowiak, George W. Carberry, Julia A. Barley and Carol F. Colomba for volunteering their time and expertise to help launch the program.

According to Kozlowski, the seventh graders fully embraced their individual courtroom roles.

“Each student has a different part in the trial, and they took their roles very seriously,” Kozlowski said. “It’s really cool to see.”

Kozlowski said he hopes the experience leaves students with a stronger understanding of the justice system and skills they can carry into any future career.

“A lot of law is a debate: my side versus your side,” he said. “Whether they become lawyers or go into another profession, I hope they learn how to respectfully understand another person’s opinion and point of view.”

He also hopes the program inspires some students to consider careers in the legal field.

“Lawyers are often portrayed on TV and in movies, but getting to learn directly from professionals is different,” Kozlowski said. “Maybe we have a future lawyer or two in the bunch.”

After the trial, Judge Cantrell answered students’ questions. They asked about courtroom procedures, testimony, jury service, and how to present arguments effectively.

“Sometimes, the facts aren’t very flashy,” Cantrell said. “It takes creativity and a little bit of magic to help get the truth across.”

Students left the courtroom with more than a verdict. Through the Law Program, Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana hopes to help students build confidence, strengthen critical thinking and communication skills, and gain meaningful exposure to career pathways they may not have otherwise experienced. Following the success of this inaugural year, the organization hopes to expand the program to additional schools in the future.

Big Shoulders Fund provides support to schools with demonstrated need that deliver a quality, values-based education for children in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit bigshouldersfund.org/NWI.