Category Archives: Mock Trial

Center for Excellence Registration is Open

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Registration for Chaminade College Preparatory’s Center for Excellence (CCE) is now open. It is the perfect place for students to spend their summer learning and growing. With classes in the morning and afternoon, CCE offers programs, for students entering grades 1-12, designed to inspire, engage, and empower young minds.

Students entering grades 1 through 12 will enjoy expanding their horizons through the Center for Excellence summer programming. For students entering Chaminade’s 6th grade, Eagles Take Flight will prepare them academically and introduce them to Chaminade’s middle school community; while students entering high school grades can acquire valuable skills in High School Study and Success Skills, and students entering 12th grade can prepare for college applications in the College Application Bootcamp. CCE also offers robotics programs on both campuses with a brand-new class on the West Hills campus focusing on electronics and programming.

This year, CCEs summer Ste[+a]m Academy, for grades K-5, will once again be powered by STEMscopes. With a different curriculum each week, there is no repetition. Each STEMscope module engages students in cross-disciplinary activities that build knowledge and skills in areas including computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. Students can come for one week, or all five weeks.

The Great Books Academy, for grades K-5, is one of CCEs most popular programs aimed at educating the whole child. The Great Books curriculum is the cornerstone of the academy and is specially designed to help students become independent readers and thinkers by focusing on reading comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary, and writing.

Summer is also an excellent time for students of all ages to pursue their creative passions in visual and performing arts. And children ages 5 to 15 can join CCEs Sports Camps and explore athletics from football to basketball as well as soccer, baseball, volleyball, fencing, and more. The West Hills campus also hosts Varsity Camps, which gives students the chance to work with Chaminade’s varsity head coaches, players, and former athletes with college and professional experience.

For more information visit chaminade.org/centerforexcellence or click here to register today.

Middle School Mock Trial Repeats as LA County Champions

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By Jennifer Bader

Chaminade Mock Trial once again proved why it is one of the top programs in California at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse Monday night. The middle school team successfully defended their title defeating John Adams from Santa Monica and winning the 2017 Los Angeles County Championship. This is the 6th county championship for the middle school Legal Eagles. The 2015 and 2016 champion high school team also earned a return trip to the finals, their third consecutive appearance. The team finished second to iLead of North Hollywood.

Sophia Nations ‘22 was awarded the MVP for her portrayal of the Defendant Casey Davidson, and Defense Attorney Samantha Bader ’18 received the award for the high school final. Freshman Armen Ajemian ’21 won Outstanding Defense Attorney for the entire high school competition.

Los Angeles is the largest county competition in the nation with over 150 teams and more than 2,600 competitors. Every year, the teams start in August to prepare all of the elements of a criminal case which they will argue in front of sitting judges and practicing attorneys. This year’s case, The People vs. Davidson, focused on a murder investigation at a political rally in Acorn, CA.

The members of the 2017 Los Angeles County Champions are Madison Cheramie ‘22, Sophia Goldsmith ’22, Maddie Gutshall ’22, Emma Heafner ’22, Rachel Lee ’22, Luke McNulty ’22, Gabby Munoz ’22 Noelle Nashed ’22, Jonathan Park ’22, Sofia Piolanti ’22, Katie Santourian ’22, Samai Srinivasan ’22, Madison Teopaco ’22, and Sam Woznica ’22.

The members of the 2017 Los Angeles County Runner Up are Samantha Bader ’18, Dario Cardenas ’21, Chris Collins ’19, Matthew Delgado ’19, Spencer Delgado ’18, Claire Fairtlough ’19, Louis Gerny ’18, Shane Scarpace ’18, Rebecca Steinberg ’18, Skylar Takac ’21, and Julia Wilson ’19. The teams are coached by Jennifer and Bert Bader.

 

Chaminade Mock Trial Makes History…Again

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Chaminade Mock Trial has accomplished what no team from Los Angeles County ever has: they reached the semifinals at the California State Championship two years in a row. This is on top of their history-making victory in November 2016; a back-to-back Los Angeles County Championship in the senior division, and a concurrent first-place win in the junior division.

As was the case last year, the Legal Eagles first had to prevail in the largest county Mock Trial competition in the country, and defeat more than 90 different teams. No school has ever repeated as Los Angeles County Champion in a field of this size.

Winning qualified the team to represent Los Angeles County at the State Championship held in Riverside. From the beginning, Chaminade was considered one of the teams to beat. In their first round, the Prosecution Team defeated the county champion, Justin-Sienna High School (Napa). In Round 2, Chaminade’s Defense Team faced and defeated former State Champion Redlands High School (San Bernardino). The Defense was called upon again in Round 3 to win against former State Champion and reigning Sacramento County Champion Elk Grove High School.

Wins in the first three rounds secured the Legal Eagles a spot in one of two semifinal rounds against Shasta High School (Shasta). In their third match of the day in a packed courtroom, Chaminade was narrowly defeated. However, their 3-1 record and scores secured Chaminade fourth place overall at State. This is ahead of former State Champions and Mock Trial Powerhouse schools Menlo, Tamalpais, Riverside Poly, Centennial, Redlands, Elk Grove and La Reina.

This year’s case was People v. Awbrey, where the Defendant, Cameron Awbrey was charged with the Human Trafficking and False Imprisonment of the chef of his new restaurant, a young immigrant from the fictional country of Tanterra.

Three members of the team were recognized for their performances during the competition, including Bryce Hurless ’17 who received the most outstanding witness award for his portrayal of the Defendant Cameron Awbrey. Others receiving recognition include attorneys Samantha Bader ’18 and Louis Gerny ’18.

The members of the 2016-17 Mock Trial Team are Maxwell Newman ’17, Conor Fairtlough ’17, Spencer Levitt ’17, Lexi Afradi ’17, Veronica Mansour ’17, Christine Gotthardt ’17, Christopher Azarloza ’17, Bryce Hurless ’17, Kristina Marter ’17, Samantha Bader ’18, Louis Gerny ’18, Rebecca Steinberg ’18, Spencer Delgado ’18, Hannah Sellfors ’18, Bryce Shirley ’18, Claire Fairtlough ’19, Isiuwa Omoigui ’19, Julia Wilson ’19, Brenna Cheney ’19 and Chloe Johnson ’19. The team is coached by Jennifer and Bert Bader.

 

Middle and High School Mock Trial Teams Win Los Angeles County Championship

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dual-champsChaminade Mock Trial made history at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Wednesday capturing both the 2016 Junior and Senior Division Los Angeles County Championships sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. It is the first time ever that one school has won both.

More than 150 schools and more than 2,500 students argued the People v. Awbrey, a case focused on the issue of human trafficking. During more than a month of competition that spanned seven rounds, the High School Legal Eagles went undefeated on their way to repeating as County Champions. In the final round, Chaminade’s Defense team faced a rematch of last year’s championship against the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. The Defense legal team, led by attorneys Spencer Levitt ’17, Conor Fairtlough ’17, and Rebecca Steinberg ’18, argued their case to Superior Court Judge Ron Rose and six distinguished scoring attorneys from the LA District Attorney’s office, the Public Defender’s office, the California Attorney General’s office, and the US Attorney’s office.

The middle school team also went undefeated throughout the competition facing John Adams Middle School in the finals.  The Prosecution Team led by attorneys Katherine Schultz ’21, Skyelar Takac ’21, and Brendan Teehan ’21 won the verdict, and Katherine Schultz was recognized as the MVP for the round.

Other students receiving individual recognition for their outstanding performances during the competition include Maxwell Newman ’17 as top Pre-trial Attorney and Rebecca Steinberg ’18 as top Defense Attorney. Armen Ajemian ’21 from the middle school team was also recognized as the top Defense Attorney for the junior high competition.

The members of the 2016 High School Championship Team are Maxwell Newman ’17, Conor Fairtlough ’17, Spencer Levitt ’17, Lexi Afradi ’17, Veronica Mansour ’17, Christine Gotthardt ’17, Christopher Azarloza ’17, Bryce Hurless ’17, Kristina Marter ’17, Samantha Bader ’18, Louis Gerny ’18, Rebecca Steinberg ’18, Spencer Delgado ’18, Hannah Sellfors ’18, Bryce Shirley ’18 Isiuwa Omoigui ’19, Claire Fairtlough ’19, Julia Wilson ’19, Brenna Cheney ’20, and Chloe Johnson ’20.

The members of the 2016 Middle School Championship Team are Armen Ajemian ’21, Sophia Canzona ’21, Dario Cardenas ’21, Leroy Freelon III ’21, Izabella Gandara ’21, Serena Gill ’21, Hannah Hayes ’21, Priyanka Khanna ’21, Maddie Marker ’21, Chandler Moutes-Lee ’21, Katherine Schultz ’21, Bailey Sellfors ’21, Skylar Takac ’21, Brendan Teehan ’21, and John Van der Wel ’21.

The championship teams are coached by Jennifer and Bert Bader.

The high school team now moves on to the California State Championship to be held in Riverside March 24-26, 2017.

Mock Trial Prepares to Defend its Championship

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mock-trial-beach-ball-invitational

In preparation for the defense of its 2015 Los Angeles County Championship, the Chaminade High School Mock Trial team competed at the 3rd Annual Beach Ball Invitational this past weekend. The field of 24 teams from around the state included 19 current and former County Champions, nine State Champions, and five World Champions. After four rounds of competition, the Legal Eagles placed 3rd against these elite mock trial schools.

The Mock Trial team split ballots with reigning Marin County and former State Champion Tamalpais High School and former Ventura County and State Champion La Reina High School. The team won both ballots against reigning Alameda County Champion Lowell High School and reigning Sacramento County and former State Champion Elk Grove High School.

Maxwell Newman ’17 was recognized as the Top Pre-Trial Attorney at the competition.  Samantha Bader ’18 was recognized as a Top Attorney and was one of only four who received every first place vote throughout the tournament. Veronica Mansour ’17 was given Honorable Mention as a Top Witness. This is the second year in a row that she has been recognized as a Top Witness at Beach Ball.

The Mock Trial team begins the defense of its Los Angeles County Championship this Tuesday, November 1, at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. The current Chaminade High School Mock Trial Team includes Seniors Lexi Afradi, Christopher Azarloza, Conor Fairtlough, Christine Gotthardt, Bryce Hurless, Spencer Levitt, Kristina Marter, Veronica Mansour, and Maxwell Newman; Juniors Samantha Bader, Spencer Delgado, Louis Gerny, Rebecca Steinberg, Hannah Sellfors, Bryce Shirley, and Julia Wilson; Sophomores Isiuwa Omoigui and Claire Fairtlough; and Freshmen Brenna Cheney, Ajay Dodani, Chloe Johnson, Skyelar Kim, and Lauren Lombardi.  The team is coached by Jennifer and Bert Bader.