DIS mock trial students argue their way into the top 10

Daniel Island School students put their legal skills to the test on Nov. 15 when they participated in the South Carolina Bar Middle School Mock Trial regional competition at the Horry County Courthouse in Conway, South Carolina. 

Fifteen students in grades six through eight formed the team of lawyers and witnesses for a fictional real estate construction case, coached by teacher Maire Schlick and local attorney Amanda Blundy. 

The mock trial program develops critical thinking and public speaking skills while teaching participants about the judicial system. Students worked for three months to prepare and argue their case in front of real-life judges. The Daniel Island team finished in the top 10 out of 30 teams, with Claire Roth named most effective attorney and Sadie Skidmore named most effective witness. 

This is only the second year the Daniel Island School has participated in mock trial, and Schlick and Blundy said the new team exceeded their expectations. 

“I am so incredibly proud of how hard these students worked this fall, and we can’t wait to come back next year and qualify for states,” Schlick said.