Five Seattle Prep High School students from West Seattle recently participated in the YMCA Youth & Government of Washington State's Mock Trial program. Three levels compete, the Green, Junior Varsity, and Varsity teams. There are also three levels of competition, city or "Districts," State, and National.

The students included Max Bertellotti on the Green Team, Tierney Vial and Campion Fellin on the Junior Varsity Team, and Alex Dullea and Lani Beadle on the Varsity team. Varsity made it to State. The Junior Varsity team competed nationally, in Philadelphia. Vial and seven other students were chosen from the team for the trip. Each team of attorneys and witnesses prepares a case for trial before a real judge in an actual courtroom.

According to Seattle Prep teacher and mock trial head coach Andy McCarthy, a former attorney, nearly 3,000 schools nationwide have high school mock trial programs and about 45 Seattle Prep students participate in the program annually. Prep has won State six of the last eight years and has been in the top ten nationally three years in a row. Attorney and volunteer Jeanne Marie Clavere coached the JV team, which placed fifth nationally out of 25 JV finalist teams.

In greater Seattle, Seattle Prep competes against University Prep, Franklin, Eastside Catholic and Nathan Hale high schools, and the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences. Chief Sealth and West Seattle High School do not have a team. All participating Washington State high schools were assigned the same case. It mirrored the high-profile case of the 2001 arson of the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture, and suspect Briana Waters. That case and the mock trial were going on simultaneously.

"I don't want to become an attorney, but I think I learned a lot about public speaking," said Dullea. who also competes for the West Seattle Stingers soccer team. She attended West Seattle Montessori and Explorer West Middle School. "We all have to work as one unit if we want to do well at a national level. It was a trying year (for Varsity.) We were excited that a Seattle Prep team (JV) did well and flourished."

"I enjoyed mock trial because it allows you to think more outside the box, to think on your feet," said Bertellotti. "It's just great because you are really able to see your efforts come about. I would really hope I go on to Junior Varsity. There are always more people than spots, but coming from the Green team gives you somewhat of an advantage." Betellotti also competes in high school football and lacrosse.

"I went to Holy Rosary Grade School with Tierney," she said. "They (JV) came together as an eight-person team."

"I wouldn't be offended by lawyer jokes," chuckled Vial, a confident 17 year-old entering her senior year at Prep this fall. "I think I could stick up for myself." She acknowledged learning a thing or two about courtroom battles from her father, Peter, a corporate litigation attorney based downtown who helped coach the Prep teams. Her mother, Mary, is involved with many Seattle area committees, in addition to her daughter's schooling. Tierney said, "She works harder than my dad without getting paid.

"I love the kids on the team," Vial added. "There's a huge mix, star swimmers, chess team champions, drama kids. I'm just a mock trial nerd. It's really really fun. It's addictive. Sometimes when you have 20 people in a classroom with two mock trial kids, at some point we'll turn everybody's conversation to the mock trials. It's always on the front of your mind, especially as you get close to the trial dates."

Vial said her team practiced four hours a day after school, and five hours every Saturday and Sunday as Philadelphia neared.

"It's difficult," said Vial. "You have to learn how to conduct yourself in the courtroom, and there is a specific code of conduct. You have to learn how to address the judge and be persuasive with the jury while trying not to appear like a high school student. The jury is made up of judges and lawyers that score how you do, and they treat you with all the respect of those in a real trial. We learn to make eye contact with the jury without being creepy, not focusing in on one juror, but looking at them evenly, without sounding scripted. We are also adapting to unexpected things, like a big objection by the judge to a certain piece of evidence, and he might rule for other side.

"I've played lacrosse and soccer, and you kind of respect your opponents. But in mock trial you really want to thank them for competing because we know they worked just as hard as we did."

For more information on the program and trial details check out: www.youthandgovernment.org