Thursday, October 1, 2026
Grab your gavel and get your defense ready because Hewlett High School offers a mock trial club.
Advised by Daniel Duffey-Birkenstock, the 12-member club is split into two teams of six, comprised of three attorneys and three witnesses.
Mock trial simulates the roles of attorneys and witnesses in real-life Nassau County cases.
"They take part in competitions that are organized by the Nassau County Bar Association and take place at the Supreme Court in Mineola,” Birkenstock said.
To join the club, students must audition, which is judged by the senior board of the club.
The audition is rubric based, students must prepare an opening argument if they plan on being an attorney or study a previous affidavit — a written statement in which the signer verifies that the document is true to be a witness.
“If students score enough points they get invited to be apart of the club,” he added.
Hewlett won its most recent trial on Feb. 10, where they acted as the defendant in the case brought by opposing council.
In the next competition on March 3, they will be the plaintiff as each round switches roles for the club..
“If we proceed through the rounds of competition we’re currently going against 32 teams in our next one, and we get all the way to the final regional’s team meet we have the opportunity to compete in Albany at states,” Birkenstock explained.
Mock trial accepts students of all grades and is currently comprised of three freshmen, two juniors, three seniors and five sophomores.
“Their grade level doesn’t determine what roles they’re eligible for, last year we had a freshman as an attorney,” he said. “Depending on the student’s skill set, it just lines up that way sometimes.”
Senior Francesca Castro is an attorney and is thinking of being pre-med in college. She has been in mock trial for two years.
“My best friend convinced me to join because he knows I want to be pre-med and knows that I work hard and that I would like going to trials and getting this experience,” Castro said. “Once I got the roll, I knew he was right and I’m having an amazing experience.”
Her favorite part is attending trials in the Supreme Court and having a responsibility.
“Even if you do lose a trial, you know all the hard work and preparation you put into it, it’s a thrilling experience I recommend it to everyone,” she added. “I think it’s cool to interact with your witness and be able to practice questions with them.”
Senior Simon Myaskovsky is an attorney and vice president. He joined mock trial in his freshman year.
“I am interested in being a lawyer and different careers possible in that field and I wanted to see how it worked,” he said. “Mock trial has really helped me figure out and learn about the different claims and also the specific procedures.”
His favorite part is preparing for the trials and working with the other students along with hosting auditions and finding the right roles for people.
“Being able to see how what we have done really mirrors what they do in the real world,” Myaskovsky said.
For Birkenstock, advising the club helps him work with students that he may never have in class and make an impact outside the classroom.
“Getting involved has been getting to know who makes up Hewlett High School outside my own classroom,” Birkenstock said. “I want to meet as many of these kids and make as many impacts as possible.”
