When team members address a judge, they have to use proper phrases such as "May it please the court ... " They have a lot to remember since it is the team's first year of operation. The members are getting organized with funding and support from local law firms and the school site council. And even though they got a late October start in the mock-trial season, the 18-member team is finally on track.

Senior Sam Vickery, who plays a defense attorney, led the effort to start the team. Her inspiration came from attending a weeklong law camp over the summer at UCLA. There, she participated in mock trial and was hooked. She met judges, watched actual courtroom sessions in action, listened to lectures by law professors and visited corporate law firms.

"That's why I started this team," she said. "[The camp] made me sure I wanted to be a lawyer."

Since then, she's been watching high school teams in the area participate in scrimmages against each other to learn mock-trial procedure.

"I want to go to UC Irvine to become an assistant district attorney," Sam said. "So this is a good start. I've been reading law books since I was in fifth grade. It's always what I've loved."

The team meets at least once a week in the evenings, with the members rehearsing their parts as if they were putting on a play. The better they play their parts, the more convincing they'll be in front of a judge, and the more likely they'll win their case.

Sam said the case—People vs. Casco: A Crime of Credit Card Fraud—takes place at a pretend place called Mansfield High School. A Mansfield student named Madison Casco, played by freshman Elaine Sun, is accused of using stolen credit cards to purchase expensive items.

"The case can go either way. It was written to be ambiguous," Sam said. "It's all about how we present the facts. It's all about presentation."

Rita Warkov, 14, a freshman, plays witness River Lenox.

"My mom's a lawyer, and I've always been interested in law," she said. "I also like to watch Law and Order."

When the team competes against other local high schools in mock-trial competition, Rita said they'll perform in a real courtroom—at the Santa Clara County courthouse—in front of actual judges, who volunteer their time. So the statements the students make must be polished and perfected. They'll even dress up to fit their roles.

"It's up to us as to how we want our characters to act," Rita said.

The event is sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. It was also endorsed by the late U.S. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger as part of the 1986 Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, which supports civic education programs that focus on the Constitution. Winners from the competition will have the opportunity to advance to state and then national mock-trial competitions.

Rita added that the team members wouldn't be learning as quickly as they are about the legal system and what can be deemed constitutional without Lindsay Schubert. Schubert, in her first year teaching social studies at LGHS, serves as the adviser to the team and previously worked in immigration law in San Francisco. The team also uses the expertise of Allen Fleishman, a San Jose attorney and coach, who volunteers his time reading and revising witness and attorney statements and listening to students perform their roles during practice.

"[Schubert] really knows what she's doing, and Allen gives us the lingo we need to know," Rita said. "They are basically guiding us and telling us what we need to do."

Fourteen-year-old Elaine said part of the reason she joined the team was to help her in public speaking, since next year as a sophomore she'll participate in debates in English class.

Senior Ali Dodson, who plays a pre-trial attorney for the defense, said she's interested in law since she works for a law firm in San Jose. Ali, also on the speech and debate team, is researching old cases that can set precedents so evidence may be kept in the mock-trial case, rather than being thrown out by a judge.

"It's definitely fun," Ali said. "I love arguing. I'm really competitive, and I like to win all the time."