River Academy is a tiny school in terms of the number of students but has earned the reputation across the state as a powerhouse when it comes to its mock trial program.

On March 22-24, the Christian-based school team will travel to Olympia for the state competition for the 10th straight time — every year they’ve fielded a team.

In an event that requires 14 students to field a team, nearly a third of the high school student body of 37 is on the squad this year. River Academy is by far the smallest school with a mock trial program, yet despite this seeming handicap, the team has placed fourth or better three times at state. A few weeks ago, they won their district competition so hopes are high for doing well at state this time around.

Mock trial, which is a program sponsored by the YMCA’s Youth and Government program, gives students a unique opportunity to get a real-life experience as attorneys, witnesses and bailiffs using a made-up case. Every team has the same set of facts so the premium is on what students do with those circumstances to build the strongest possible case. At competitions, the defense is pitted against another team’s prosecution in a simulated trial with a real judge and jury.

River Academy teacher Scott Welch, who teaches rhetoric as part of the school’s classical education approach, started the program to give students a way to further hone and develop the communication and logic skills they were learning in class. That first year, all 14 students in the high school were on the team.

I got acquainted with some members of this year’s River Academy team while visiting their school and attending a practice with Chelan County Superior Court Judge Lesley Allan and Carol Wardell, a former judge and Chelan County Public Utility District attorney.

The first thing that is impressively apparent when you watch them practice their closing or opening statements is their poise, confidence and presence. “Those kids are so awesome,” said Wardell. “They’re so creative and think so fast.” Allan agreed. Working with high-caliber kids “is just a tremendous amount of fun,” she said.

The ability to think on your feet is essential to success in mock trials. You never know how the other team might be approaching issues in the case, so being thoroughly prepared is crucial.

This year, the River Academy’s lead prosecutor is Mike Carlson, a three-year veteran. He has impressed Wardell and Allan with his professionalism and poise. “He could represent me (as an attorney) today,” said Wardell.

Carlson said the experience has helped him develop as a person. He relishes the chance to win arguments based on logic rather than emotion or personal opinion. “You’ve got to be able to think on your feet,” said Carlson. “There’s nothing worse than not knowing (an answer).”

During the practice, defense attorney Brooke Ghiglia gave her prepared closing remarks with Allan sitting in the jury box to provide feedback. Ghiglia, whose brother Jordan also is on the team, got high marks from the judge for her performance.

When Welch first started the mock trial program a decade ago, he had no outside legal help. The team’s performance started improving once Allan started helping out eight years ago. She starting meeting with the students regularly to help them prepare and recruited other attorneys to help. This year, Judge Roy Fore and attorneys Lew Card, John Brangwin, Scott Volyn and others have been assisting.

Getting a handle on the legal process and building confidence in how to effectively present a case or be a witness is a time-consuming process for the students and their coach. Welch said the program becomes so all-consuming that he’s meeting regularly with students during lunches and one time received a text during church from a student looking for help with particular questions.

One of the defining attributes of students who go through the mock trial program is that they tend to be leaders wherever they go, Welch said. The training under pressure and the sense of teamwork and camaraderie serves them well in whatever profession they end up pursuing.

For the students, part of the appeal is to take on the persona of the character they are playing in the simulation, so they immerse themselves in their characters. “At it’s most basic level,” said student Peter Bowe, “it’s acting.”

It can be rough at first. Allan said she remembers sophomore Clarisse Lane’s being very self conscious during her first practice as an attorney. By last week’s practice, she delivered her closing arguments with clarity and power. That’s what this program does for kids.