— by Pamala Custer

The Hanover High School Mock Trial team began competing in state competitions in 2024, and this enthusiastic group enjoys collaborating every week as they prepare and practice. Mick trials are an engaging and authentic way for students not only to learn about the legal system, but also to develop persuasive argumentation skills, public speaking skills, and teamwork abilities.   This year, the state Mock Trial case involved a complex civil trial. During each round of arguing the case at tournaments, the team is assigned either the Plaintiff or Defense side, and each trial takes between three and four hours to argue. The HHS team participated in the regional tournament at Souhegan, placing third overall, and advanced to the state tournament, held two weeks ago. There, they won each round of the tournament over two days to advance to the finals. Last week, with Judge LaPlante presiding in the US Federal District Court in Concord, the team beat Phillips Exeter to claim the state championship title. They will now go on to compete in the National Mock Trial Association Tournament in May in Phoenix, with 45 teams from the US, plus the Northern Mariana Islands and South Korea.   Team members are: Cole DeMatteo, Stella Hobson, Cassie Merwin, Giavanna Schembri, Cailin Stauth, Ella Tosone, Matthew Tysinger, Natalie Wainwright, Owen Welch.