Miranda Richard Guilty! (Of Quality High Level Leadership And Outstanding Skill!)

This was written and submitted by Mike Graham: 

THE JURY HAS RETURNED …….

And their verdict indicates that Miranda Richard is guilty of quality high level leadership and a demonstration of outstanding skill over the last four years in her attorney role on the Morgan Mock Trial Team. As a result, she has been selected for this year’s Mock Trial Scholarship.

Teacher-Coach Michael Graham recognizes, “As the students return to The Morgan School we will begin the challenging experience of The Mock Trial Team without Miranda’s leadership and work ethic”.  Last season the team had many new members which demanded strong  performance and leadership  from  the seniors, Richards and Paula Peralta.

With the assistance of two volunteers, teacher-sponsor coach, Graham, and attorney -coach, Brad Sullivan the Morgan Mock Trial program engaged 14 student-participants to challenge other high school teams from across the State of Connecticut. Students actively experience the excitement and challenge of working in teams, exchanging ideas, setting goals, and examining legal issues and case law. By studying the case and preparing strategies and arguments for trial, students develop writing and speaking presentation skills, listening skills, analytic ability, and team cooperation.

“My involvement with the Mock Trial team at Morgan High School is more fun than work. It allows me to interact with high school students who may be thinking about a career in the law.”

“I enjoy working with these students as they resolve evidentiary issues contained in the Mock Trial problem. These students essentially prepare an entire case for trial from soup to nuts including but not limited to resolving factual inconsistencies, preparing logical arguments advocating for their ‘clients’ and then executing their plan after many hours of practice. These young people somehow find the time and motivation in a few short months to not only prepare but also conduct the mock trials with Connecticut attorneys presiding at the competition as mock trial judges.”

Sullivan’s comments well validate the highest expectations of an attorney as Sullivan was recently selected as one of the Top 100 Trial attorneys in New England.

The High School Mock Trial Program, begun in 1976, is sponsored by Civics First. In the nine years of the Morgan program, founder and coach, Graham recognizes the value and challenge of the experience for students.

As a teacher and Mystic Seaport Orion Award winner he realizes the value of experiencing education in which you challenge yourself to learn in new ways.

Graham said “The evidence and impact of the Morgan Mock Trial experience has been demonstrated by students earning college scholarships, students developing Mock trial teams at their colleges, and previously one student lawyer worked in Washington D.C. in the capital.” Graham also says “the relationship of this experience to what we want students to demonstrate and learn about carries over to marketable skills is more than evident”. Interested students are encouraged to join the team.

Miranda Richards is headed to Boston College this fall to pursue her undergraduate degree, and Graham and Sullivan mutually agree she is going to have a successful career in whatever she chooses to apply her talents and energy to.

The scholarship is co-sponsored by Graham and Sullivan.