Students in Seattle Prep’s Mock Trial program know room 203 in Ignatius Hall well.

The site of practices, scrimmages, and even some actual rounds of competition for over 20 years, Jennifer Freeman, Andy McCarthy and many other coaches and volunteers have worked with hundreds of Seattle Prep Mock Trial (SPMT) students in that very room. This year’s cohort of Panthers won the state championship for the fourth year in a row (and the 17th overall) moving on to Nationals in Wilmington, Delaware. Coaches Freeman and McCarthy are quick to note that one of many reasons the program is successful is the tight-knit community and invaluable partnerships with program alumni and friends.  Without them, SPMT would not be what it is today.  

During most of the school year at window period, nearly 40 students work to construct and perfect their arguments and examinations.  While some of that work is independent, students benefit from the expertise of a variety of adults.  Taylor Larson ’07 has been an essential part of the program for 15 years and many other program alumni have helped the team as well, including Michelle Nguyen ’20, who worked with the team this year while simultaneously leading the UW Mock Trial program.     

Program alumni often drop in for practices, offering valuable advice and perspective, while others prepare the case and scrimmage against the students to help them gear up for the national competition. These alumni serve as role models for SPMT’s current cohort and give them an idea of what they can achieve with the skills they are learning. Days before the state competition, students watched a video of Prep and SPMT Alum, Nick Crown ’07, argue before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit with the Department of Justice. Seeing Crown’s confidence and knowing they share similar roots; it just might have been the inspiration that the students needed because soon after — they brought the state championship trophy back to Prep. 

Each year, students work on cases that can range from murder to environmental justice. The 2023-24 state case focused on a will contest, complete with terms and ideas like testamentary capacity, probate, and beneficiary.  These terms were foreign to most students.  Luckily, Prep alum Teresa (Schroeder) Byers ’96, an attorney who works in estate planning, was able to help the team. Byers spent an afternoon talking to students about her own job and helped them gain an understanding of a field she works in and how to best navigate the trial.  After reading the case, she gave the students ideas about what she would focus on and the arguments that they might want to make. These sorts of partnerships are crucial to the success of SPMT and ultimately, Seattle Prep. Over the 20 years that McCarthy and Freeman have been leading SPMT to success, they have relied on this network of alumni, friends, and parents who can offer specialized knowledge and perspective.    

National competitions take place all over the country, but coaches have still been able to tap into this network. This year’s National competition brought SPMT’s varsity team to the East Coast, where they had the opportunity to meet Nicholas Crown and other program alumni, including John Bailey ’04, and several recent program alumni who made the trip to Wilmington from Washington, DC to watch a round of competition. Competing students were quick to ask questions of the alums and used that advice as they competed.   

As with many other programs, Seattle Prep Mock Trial is a formative experience for its participants.  In Ignatius Hall, in the courtroom, and around the country, students learn about the law, leadership, and being a part of a team. Throughout the generations of SPMT, past and current students alike have seen the time, effort, and support so abundantly given by those within this tight-knit community. In the words of Jennifer Freeman, “They see the generosity that they have benefitted from, and they understand that it's an expectation that when it’s their turn, they will be able to continue this culture of generosity.”