For a small group of Belmont High School students, legal pads, case files, and cross-examinations have become a regular part of their high school experience.
The high school’s mock trial team wrapped up its 2025-26 season at the MassBar High School’s Mock Trial competition with a 2-1 record. At the Malden District Courthouse, Belmont won both its rounds against Medford High School and Arlington Catholic High School.
“I thought this year the students did a terrific job. They really showed improvement,” said Jeremy Silverfine, a Belmont-based attorney who serves as a legal adviser to the team, along with attorney Edward Rabinovitz.
Belmont’s run ended with a one-point loss to Arlington High School. Even without a trophy, the team’s captains said the season proved the dedication and time that every student put into the competition.
“Most of the success in mock trials is just determined by what happens before the trial,” said team Captain Andrew Ge.
Ge, a senior at Belmont High, has been a team captain for two years.
According to Ge, the team met once a week for over an hour to go over their case and develop a strategy to construct a winning argument. The students learn how to make objections, become knowledgeable on legal terms, and work together to execute the strategy in front of a judge.
“It’s really interesting, and it kind of shows how perspective and all sorts of factors can skew what really is the truth,” said Emilia Hospodar, who has been a captain for three years.
This year, students argued a criminal case, with groups breaking off into prosecution, defense, and various witnesses. In a competition, schools competed against each other, cross-examining each other’s witnesses and delivering opening and closing statements.
Following in the footsteps of his two older siblings, Captain Ryan Park has played roles on both sides of the witness stand in his four years in the club.
“Now as a senior, I’ve definitely improved my argumentation, my speaking, my ability to analyze things,” Park said. “It’s been a really meaningful experience for me.”
Though the team didn’t continue on in this year’s state competition, Park said the improvement following the COVID-19 pandemic is Belmont’s true mark of success.
“Even though we lost, it’s still in my eyes a win for us, because we’ve gotten so much better over the past years,” he said.
Ge, Park, and Hospodar will be graduating in May, and all three said they were potentially interested in pursuing careers in law. Team Captain Naima Giudicelli, a junior, will continue to oversee the team’s growth.
“[The end of the season] was a little bit disappointing, but it’s also rewarding to see our growth, because we’ve grown a lot since when I was a freshman,” Giudicelli said. “I think we’re just excited to see how we can grow from here to get some new members.”
