Livingston won the Essex County championship at the 2024 Essex County Mock Trial tournament, held over six weeks in January and February. The team will advance to the regional tournament to be held in New Brunswick at the end of February.
The Essex County tournament is sponsored by the Essex County Bar Association and the Essex Vicinage (part of the New Jersey state court system) and consists of 22 teams from public and private high schools in the county. Teams from Millbum, Montclair, West Orange, and other schools participated this year.
Livingston prevailed over Verona in the final round of the tournament at a trial presided over by New Jersey Supreme Court justices Ann Patterson and Michael Noreiga. Patterson has served on the New Jersey Supreme Court since 2011 and was previously the Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey. Noreiga was appointed in 2023 by Governor Phil Murphy and is the first former public defender to serve on the Court.
After the trial, Patterson delivered high praise to the Livingston and Verona teams, recounting how she thought to herself during the proceedings that she could close her eyes and imagine that she was presiding over a real trial. Noreiga commended the team’s “poise” and “professionalism” and described the performances as “incredibly exceptional.”
The Livingston team advanced to the finals after beating rivals and perennial champions Newark Academy and Montclair Kimberley Academy in the semi-final and quarterfinal rounds. Newark Academy had won consecutive championships in 2022 and 2023 and placed fourth statewide, while MKA had previously won the 2021 championship, and likewise placed fourth in the state.
Mock trial is a competitive program where students participate on teams that compete in a simulated criminal or civil trials. Students serve as attorneys and witnesses. Local lawyers and judges serve as the judges in the trials.
Livingston’s team consists of over 20 students from all grades at the high school level. While many of the team members are interested in legal careers, others participate to develop their public speaking and critical reasoning skills. The team was coached this year by Livingston High School teacher Tom Garzon, who previously coached the Livingston High wrestling team and is a graduate of LHS. Garzon returned to coaching Mock Trial after a nearly 20-year break. In his first stint as a mock trial coach, Garzon led Livingston to previous Essex County championships, regional championships and even an appearance at a national mock trial tournament.
Last year, the team, which was successfully coached by Livingston High School teacher Alex Lamon, advanced to the semi-final round of the Essex County tournament.
This year, the trial was a criminal case modeled loosely after the “Varsity Blues” criminal cases involving fraud in the college admissions process.
Senior Jake Ferrans, who served as one of the attorneys in the finals along with Sarah Grossman said, “Mock Trial has been an amazing experience that has helped me further my interest in a legal career. The team helps all of us students develop our public speaking skills and critical reasoning skills, as well as boosting our confidence in pressure situations.”
Senior JessicaAldana, a team member and witness in the final round of the tournament this year, said: “It was a thrill to participate on a championship team. I played the part of a key defense witness in front of a packed courtroom that has been featured in movies and TV shows like ‘Law and Order.’” The Mock Trial team is open to all Livingston High School students. Interested students can sign up during the first weeks of each school year.
