Nottingham High School Mock Trial Team Thrives on Mentorship
5.19.2025
Syracuse’s Nottingham High School Mock Trial team is headed back to the state tournament for the second consecutive year. The team beat out Sherburne-Earlville and Vestal high schools to win the Region II title. Students returning from last year’s winning team thought it would be a rebuilding year for Nottingham and were surprised at the caliber of the new team members.
“The sheer like verve and dedication of our new members this year! Honestly, I didn’t think that there would be so many people interested in joining the team, but these people astound and amaze me, and I’m very lucky to call them my teammates. They’re all incredibly skilled at what they do, and it’s been such a pleasure to watch them grow,” said veteran teammate Alex Minta.
New members also praise the returning students for mentoring them and encouraging them to keep practicing during the tough times.
“I was definitely driven to join the team due to its the success,” said Sam Lockwood. “After joining, this year the upperclassmen have just made it a really smooth transition. They’ve helped us out a lot. It’s easy to pick up on stuff quickly when you’ve got such great people beside you.”
The students were also quick to praise their attorney coaches who they call invaluable.
“They are two of the most talented, brilliant people. I do think our legal advisers are the reason that Nottingham is the team that it is and has been for years now,” said Ruby Gozan-Keck.
“They are so unbelievably dedicated to helping us, giving up so much of their time and energy to come and support us. We owe them, all of our successes,” said Henry Zhe-Heimerman. “We are ready to compete for the state title.”
The statewide Mock Trial program and tournament is sponsored by the New York State Bar Association and funded in part by a grant from The New York Bar Foundation. It brings thousands of high school students together each year to learn about the law, practice public speaking and develop life skills. The state tournament with eight regional teams takes place in Albany each May.
