The Legacy and Connection of Mock Trial in South Carolina

• Citation: Vol. 37 No. 3
• Year: 2025

The Legacy and Connection of Mock Trial in South Carolina

Vol. 37 Issue 3 Pg. 50

South Carolina Lawyer

December, 2025

FEATURE

BY SARAH L. JUSTICE

In a courtroom packed with middle school students, the tension was palpable. The final round of the South Carolina Bar's Middle School Mock Trial State Championship was underway, and the young attorneys were delivering their closing arguments with poise and precision that belied their age. Among the spectators stood Ariyana Gore, a practicing attorney and coach, watching her team with pride. Nearly a decade earlier, she had stood in the same spot as a high school senior, winning the state title herself. Now, she was back— this time on the other side of the bar.

"I still remember delivering my first opening statement during a middle school competition and thinking, 'This is it; this is what I want to do,"' Gore recalls. "It was the first time I saw how words could give shape to ideas, challenge assumptions, and bring truth to the surface.''

Gore's story is emblematic of the enduring power of the South Carolina Bar's mock trial program, which has not only shaped generations of lawyers but also cultivated a community of mentors, educators, and alumni who continue to give back. For lawyers across the state, mock trial offers opportunities to invest in the future of the profession, to sharpen their own skills, and to witness the transformative growth of students discovering their voices.

A Courtroom Reunion

On a different fall day, the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center in Lexington was abuzz as well - filled with laughter, teasing, and the kind of storytelling that only old friends can share. There was no trial this time, but a reunion between one of the many S.C. Bar mock trial coaching trees where alumni, coaches, and judges came together for a roundtable conversation about the legacy of the program. In the very courthouse named for legendary mock trial advocate Judge Marc H. Wesbrook, Judge Jack Landis, Harold Staley, Ryan Newkirk, Stephen Cox, Josh Holford, and Walter Dusky gathered to reminisce and celebrate the program that shaped lives, launched careers, and built a community that continues to thrive decades later.

Right: The Westbrook Trophy, named after Judge Marc Westbrook, is awarded to the winning High School Mock Trial Champion each year.

A Program with Purpose

The South Carolina Bar's mock trial program began in the early 1980s with a simple goal: teach students about the legal system through simulated trials. Landis, one of the program's earliest champions, recalled being recruited by Judge Mark Dennis. "I don't know why he turned to me," Landis said, "but he asked me, and that's all she wrote. I stayed in it for years."

The cases were simpler then. "I think our case the year we won in '89 was a custody case," he remembered. "Not very complicated. The expert witness was a preacher." But the impact was profound. Students learned courtroom procedures, legal terminology, and the art of persuasion.

Over time, the program evolved. "Last time I judged middle school mock trial," Landis said, "they were at the level our high school students were back in the '90s." Another coach added, "The affidavits used to be three pages. Now they're fifteen. It's like Nobel-level science."

The Spark That Starts It All

For many, mock trial begins with a nudge—a teacher's suggestion, a parent's encouragement, or a curiosity about the law. Judge Blakely Cahoon, who now presides over family court, first joined the Berkeley High School team as a freshman, already set on becoming a lawyer.

"Joining the team felt like the next step." Cahoon says. "I learned something in every role—from bailiff to witness to attorney. Each year was demanding, but I found myself excited to meet the challenge."

That excitement is a common thread among alumni. Newkirk, now an attorney in Fort Mill, remembers being a freshman in Ms. Dickinson's criminal justice class, reluctant to join what he jokingly called "nerd stuff." But after attending the introductory meeting and seeing ten of the twelve starting roles filled by girls, he signed up. "It was like an all-girl club," he laughs. "So I signed up, and I was there with Josh."

The 1990 state championship team poses on the U.S. Capitol steps with U.S. Representative Arthur Ravenel Jr.

The program's reach extends far beyond future lawyers. As Cahoon notes. "Mock trial fosters critical thinking, confidence, and collaboration-skills that serve students well beyond the classroom or courtroom."

Coaching Trees: A Living Legacy

One of the most remarkable aspects of South Carolina's mock trial program is the lineage of attorneys and judges who were once students themselves and now mentor the next generation. There are several "coaching trees" across the state that boast the student-to-attorney-to-coach pipeline.

The stories of these mock trial attorneys are deeply intertwined, as evidenced by the roundtable gathering. Landis coached Cox, and a year later. Staley joined the team. Dusky, Holford and Newkirk were coached by Staley and Cox, and eventually became coaches themselves. Holford coached Gore. Judges Dennis and Landis coached Cahoon, and the tree continues to grow. Cahoon even coached her own son's middle school team, "even though he doesn't want to be a lawyer," she laughs.

"I was admitted in '99 and started volunteering to coach with Jack and Mark," Staley recalls. "They taught me how to try a case. Everything I learned about being a trial lawyer, I learned from them."

The roundtable reunion of this particular coaching tree was filled with laughter, friendly jabs, and vivid memories of courtroom victories, heartbreaking losses, and the quirky moments that only mock trial can produce. There was the time a student objected so precisely that the judge flipped through the rulebook mid-trial. Or the freshman who cried on the stand while portraying a grieving parent, leaving no dry eyes in the room.

But beneath the humor was a deep reverence for the program's impact.

"Watching kids in [a] loss, it was tough," Staley recalls. "Especially [seeing] the way they behaved and took it home and just sucked it up. It's the toughest experience I've ever had as a lawyer—losing a mock trial case with kids who deserved it."

The Power of Mentorship

For Gore, mentorship was the cornerstone of her mock trial experience. Her attorney coaches — Josh Holford, Martin Spratlin, and now-Judge Melissa Frazier—along with teacher coaches BJ DeCerbo and Susan Hamilton, were more than instructors. They were guides, cheerleaders, and role models.

"They pushed me, guided me, and believed in me long before I fully believed in myself," Gore says. "Through them. I learned what it means to have someone truly invest in your growth."

Cahoon echoes that sentiment, crediting Judges Dennis and Landis for their ability to ask the right questions at the right time. "Their dedication set a high standard, and they expected the same level of commitment from us as students."

That investment pays dividends. Many coaches report that their students go on to become lawyers, judges, and professionals in fields ranging from medicine to education. Carrie Barlow, a standout attorney on the 2016 Fort Mill team, now works as a scheduling clerk at the United States Supreme Court. Monique Huggins, another alumna, earned a full scholarship to Duke and is now at Yale Medical School.

The 1997 Pee Dee Middle School Lakeview Team.

For attorneys considering mock trial coaching or judging, the benefits are manifold. First and foremost, it's a chance to give back and offer students the same spark that launched so many legal careers.

"I coach because I want to give that same opportunity to others," Gore says. "Watching that transformation unfold is one of the most fulfilling parts of the experience."

But it's not just about the students. Coaching sharpens a lawyer's own skills. "Coaching students on how to analyze and present a case has sharpened my own abilities as a lawyer," Cahoon explains. "The clarity and precision required to guide them directly translates to how I communicate with clients."

Landis, who has coached for decades, adds, "Serving as a coach or judge is one of the most rewarding ways to give back—not just to the legal profession, but to the community."

"You learn the rules of evidence because of this program," Cox says. "When you teach 13-year-olds how to apply evidence, you learn it yourself."

Building Confidence, One Objection at a Time

The growth students experience through mock trial is often dramatic. Coaches recall shy freshmen who could barely say their names at the first meeting, transforming into confident advocates by senior year.

"I walked into the first introductory meeting," Holford remembers. "There was this kid sitting in the back, nervous. Four years later, he was in a suit, sitting in a room like this, watching Judge Westbrook and asking about compensation from the Bar."

That transformation is what keeps coaches coming back. "It's amazing to see the change," Dusky says. "They speak confidently. They know how to think. It's really invaluable."

No matter the school or program size, the heart of the mock trial program remains the same: teaching students to think critically, speak effectively, and work collaboratively. And while Fort Mill High School may be known for its competitive streak—practicing four days a week for two hours a night—coaches emphasize that winning isn't everything.

"It's just as important for smaller schools to get kids involved," Holford says. "You don't have to have the mentality that you need to win to get all those benefits."

Behind every successful team is a network of support. Teacher coaches like Lynn Dickinson and Denise Jackson, who have been with the program since the beginning, spend countless hours mentoring students, organizing practices, and coordinating logistics. Clerks of court open their courtrooms for practice. Judges volunteer their time to preside over competitions. Parents drive students to and from practices, often sacrificing weekends and evenings.

"It's so expansive," Newkirk says. "You need the teacher coach, the [Bar staff] running the program, the head of the LPxE committee, the clerk of court, the judges, the parents. It really reaches far."

You Can Make a Difference

So what would these mock trial proponents say to lawyers who are thinking about getting involved for the first time?

"Do it," Gore says simply. "Serving as a coach or judge is one of the most rewarding ways to give back."

"Spending time with students— learning from them, teaching them, and watching them grow—is always time well spent." Cahoon adds. "Each time I participate. I walk away having learned something new."

And for those who worry they don't have the time or experience. Gore offers reassurance. "Mock trial gave me a starting point and, more importantly, a sense of direction. It shaped not only my interest in law but taught me lessons about the kind of lawyer I aspired to become—thoughtful, disciplined, and committed to using advocacy as a tool to make an impact."

South Carolina's mock trial program carries a legacy built by lawyers, judges, and educators who believe the law transforms lives. Whether you're a seasoned litigator or a newly minted attorney, there's a place for you in this program.

So consider volunteering. Judge a round. Coach a team. Share your knowledge. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find yourself standing in a court- room, watching a student deliver their first opening statement and thinking, “This is it.”