By Miramon Nuevo
Determination, good coaching and big dreams for the future.
These are all themes that marked the journey of this year’s Notre Dame High School Mock Trial team, which won the Riverside County competition in February and placed 14th out of 34 schools at the state competition in Oakland March 20-22.
A dedicated squad of lawyer-coaches saw that brilliance, ambition, and exuberant energy, with proper motivation and guidance, faith, and family support can turn students into the best versions of themselves.
“I am very proud of our team, of all of them,” said Principal Manuel Cardoza. “This is the second time in the last five years that Notre Dame has won. We are so grateful to Notre Dame alumni, to Judge Eric Keen and Judge Kelly Moran, along with the supporting attorneys, including our teacher and Notre Dame alumni, Mrs. Rachel Dyer.”
A mock trial is a simulation of a criminal trial using a hypothetical case, based on a state law. Under the guidance of coaches, teams of middle and high school students compete as prosecution or defense, with real judges and attorneys scoring and presiding over the trials. Mock trial helps students acquire a working knowledge of the judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of society.
This year’s Prosecution Team for Notre Dame included Adrian Reyes (Pre-Trial Attorney), Samantha Voorhis (Attorney #1), Daphne Egizi (Attorney #2), Jude Cramer (Attorney #3), Caroline Corr (as witness “Detective Rio Sacks”), Claire Morrow (as witness “Alden Mitchell”), Gael Campos (as witness “Sam Longo”), Audrina Patterson (as witness “Imari Rodriguez”) and Xavier Felix (as Clerk of Court).
The Notre Dame Defense Team included Grace Mankin (Pre-Trial Attorney), Sydney Cramer (Attorney #1), Madison Mendoza (Attorney #2), Sophia Saldana (Attorney #3), Egizi (as witness and defendant “Haley Fromholz”), Felix (as witness “Takoda Morrisson”), Minh Lai (as witness “Dr. Ren Dunne”), Bristol Gonzalez (as witness “Jean Kronsdath”), Jonathan Medrano (as Bailiff), Doug Cube (as Journalist) and Reyes (as unofficial court timer).
In addition to finishing 14th as a team in the state competition, Felix was recognized as the Outstanding Clerk of the Court and Corr was awarded as Outstanding Witness for her portrayal of Detective Sacks.
While keeping up with the team’s rigorous practice schedule and its extreme demand for mental acuity, most of the team members also play multiple competitive sports at Notre Dame.
Seniors Reyes, Voorhis, and Cramer credit “siblings’ influence” in how they got involved in the Mock Trial team, and strong support from the coaches to keep them focused.
“My sister introduced me to mock trial,” Reyes explained. “Our coaches are all experienced trial lawyers, and they help us tremendously in gaining a strong understanding of legal concepts and trial procedures. They’ve taught us leadership, public speaking, and how to motivate each other to become effective in our roles.”
Added Voorhis, “the coaches create this environment where everyone feels confident, empowered, and valued. They help us achieve our dreams. They teach us responsibility and accountability. I fell in love with it!”
Cramer, this year’s Best Prosecutor awardee in the Riverside County competition, also praised the mentorship of the coaches. “They embrace open communication, they welcome ideas, and they inspire you to rise up into the life you want. The team is our own special community, a family within a family.”
Judges Keen and Moran formed the high school’s Mock Trial team ten years ago. So far, they’ve won two County competitions. This year, they’ve been fortunate to have the assistance of some of the local legal and judicial heavyweights, namely Jean Serrano of the Rizio, Lipinsky, Heating firm; Goushia Farook of the Bratton and Razo firm; and Judge Sophia Choi.
Aside from Keen, Moran, and Dyer, also part of the coaching staff are attorneys Sam Stone and Brianna Ruiz.
Keen is a Riverside County Superior Court Judge, appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2018. Moran is a Riverside County Superior Court Commissioner who joined the bench in 2023. Ruiz is a trial attorney with the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office. A veteran of mock trials and moot court competitions herself, she has volunteered as a coach for eight years now, four as the Pre-Trial coach. Stone, a seasoned criminal defense attorney with the Riverside County Public Defender’s Office, meanwhile, has been with the team for two years.
Dyer, the team’s dedicated teacher-coach, teaches U.S. History and AP U.S. History. She graduated summa cum laude from UC Riverside with a degree in Political Science with an
emphasis on Law and Society. She graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law. Keen, Moran, and Dyer are all alumni of Notre Dame.
Some members of the Notre Dame Mock Trial team would like to follow a similar path into the legal world. Reyes dreams of becoming a future lawyer, as does Mendoza, a junior, but in the military
“I am joining the Air Force, and I want to become a military law officer of JAG (Judge Advocate General),” Mendoza revealed.
For senior Egizi, four years spent devotedly with the team helped hone her skills in acting.
“I am pursuing Performing Arts and Theater after graduation, and being in different roles has helped me greatly in sharpening my skills in enacting and portraying.”
Morrow, a sophomore who is planning to be a humanities teacher, said she looks up to Coach Moran like a big sister.
“Kelly’s energy inspires me,” Morrow said. “She helps me personally in looking at life positively. She believes in you, and that’s quite motivating.”
For freshman Jacob Solis, who is currently portraying the role of an alternate Clerk of Court, the Mock Trial team has pointed him toward a future vocation.
“My dream is to be a state prosecutor someday,” Solis declared. “I come from an immigrant family, and my father is always telling me to study hard, follow my dream, and be the best that I can be. And if I become a lawyer, my father said to not forget to fight for the helpless and to defend the powerless.”
To those who are graduating, they are leaving Notre Dame with heavy hearts. To those who will be left behind, it’s a time of opportunity to step up to the plate where erstwhile great members have left off. To all of them, though, one thing is crystal clear: the coaches’ sacrifice, the school’s guidance, their family’s support, and, most importantly, their faith in Christ have aided them every step of the way to where they are now and where their future will take them.
Miramon Nuevo is a freelance writer and a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes, Montclair. A retired sports columnist and boxing analyst, he now lives with his wife, Justine, and three children in Fontana.