Mock Trial Team Successfully Competes at the Justice Center in Wilmington

Brandon Paregian (‘26) was awarded a Most Effective Attorney gavel and Chloe Li (‘26) received two in different rounds. Senior Audrey Zou (‘26) earned a Most Effective Witness gavel. On the JV team Audrey Therriault (‘27) was awarded a Most Effective Attorney gavel and Athena Dong (‘26) received two in different rounds. Ryan Carr (‘29) was awarded a Most Effective Witness gavel and Liz Guo (‘29) received two in different rounds.

The Varsity team members, including senior attorneys Chloe Li, Brandon Paregian, Daniel Qi, Kellyn Williams and Rebecca Wang, and junior attorney Tianna Bell, and senior witnesses Sarah Eastment, Omar Hefnawi, Darren Luo, Zoe Thornton, Angela Zhang and Audrey Zou, demonstrated outstanding knowledge of legal and evidentiary rules and a thorough understanding of the case, which was a criminal case about arson in the 2nd degree. JV attorneys included juniors Audrey Therriault and Deven Grande and 9th graders Eric Chen, Athena Dong, Ruochen Kong, Lynn Zhuang, and JV witnesses were sophomores Eliza Freeman and Lauren Nguyen and 9th graders Elizabeth Guo, Logan Hall, and Larissa Nguyen. Time keepers were 9th graders Emma Zhang, Xingda Zhang and Nate Cohen.

The team is coached by Delaware attorneys and former/current Archmere parents Neilli Walsh, Kristin Giakas and Dominique Ryan along with Archmere teachers Janna Scheflen and Taylor Tucker.

The Delaware Law-Related Education Center also held competitions for Courtroom Artist and Courtroom Journalist, rewarding the artist who created the best drawing throughout the course of a two hour round of competition and journalist who best reported on the course of a two hour trial. They specifically rewarded artists who showed the drama and action of the courtroom, with a focus on composition, perspective and detail. Tallulah Daisey (‘29) and Erin Tan (‘28) represented Archmere for the second year as artists and Susanna Connolly represented Archmere in the journalism competition. Tallulah Daisey won first place for the state of Delaware and is invited to compete at the national competition in April. 

This year the competition featured peer awarded Star Awards for each round of competition: Round 1- Elizabeth Guo (‘29), Omar Hefnawi (‘26), Ruochen Kong (‘29), Kellyn Williams (‘26), Round 2- Ryan Carr (‘29), Sarah Eastment (‘26), Daniel Qi (‘26), Audrey Therriault (‘27), Round 3- Elizabeth Guo (‘29), Ruochen Kong (‘29), Chloe Li (‘26), Angela Zhang (‘26), and Round 4- Ryan Carr (‘29), Darren Luo (‘26), Daniel Qi (‘26), Lynn Zhuang (‘29).