Students at Rowland Hall’s Upper School are experiencing their 1L year—yet none of them has taken the LSAT.

Teacher and coach Mike Shackelford is providing a legal education for these students through a variety of courses. They cover the basics of court proceedings in the Mock Trial class, which culminates in a statewide competition. In the Supreme Court class, they look at the docket of the highest court in the land, how it deliberates, and the precedents it has set. They also take the time to dissect some of those legal precedents through law review.

Some kids want to be lawyers; they want to grow up and work in the legal field. These courses prepare them in the same way we are teaching scientists to do real lab work or teaching historians to publish research.—Mike Shackelford, political science teacher and debate coach

“Some kids want to be lawyers; they want to grow up and work in the legal field,” Mike said.  “These courses prepare them in the same way we are teaching scientists to do real lab work or teaching historians to publish research.”

The curriculum is about more than preparing students for their future careers. It’s also about making them aware of their constitutional rights, how to use them, and how to defend the civil liberties of others.“We are demystifying the legal system and teaching them how their rights might be applied in their own circumstances,” Mike said.

Since 2014, the law curriculum has been centered around the Political Science: The Supreme Court course taught by Mike. Here, students look at a variety of legal precedents and the arguments that led to their decisions. They have looked at cases like Miranda v. Arizona, which ruled that law enforcement must inform suspects of their constitutional rights.

“We’re looking at the actual legal proceedings that brought us these precedents, and the people who were involved,” said junior Luna Saad. “It makes you realize how important it is for the courts to get it right the first time because it is so hard to go back and change it later.”

In addition to studying the historical decisions of the high court, the class is charged with looking at the current issues facing it, the arguments being made, and the decisions being handed down. It brings immediacy to the lessons being taught that doesn’t exist in many other classes.

“It’s not just watching the court, but also politicians and how they are positioning themselves,” said junior Grey Obermark. “It’s interesting to try and predict what will happen next and where we should be directing our attention.”

This year, the class is taking on a new project: law reviews. Each student has chosen a case to put under the microscope and examine. The topics that have been chosen range from corporate political speech to Native American sovereignty, environmental justice, and intellectual property rights. It isn’t just about knowing the subject matter, though; it’s also knowing how to write in a way they haven’t before, formatting their thoughts in a style that’s acceptable as a legal document.

We are learning to construct a legal argument, which is a key skill to get this early in our education.—Baker Campsen, class of 2026

“It’s different in structure and the kind of evidence that you use compared to other writing that you do,” said senior Baker Campsen. “We are learning to construct a legal argument, which is a key skill to get this early in our education.”

When finished, all the papers will be collected into an online volume and submitted to the High School Law Review for possible publication. This is a national organization that is committed to the study of constitutional law and a deeper understanding of those principles.

“We are one of 20 schools in the nation involved in the High School Law Review,” said Mike. “It involves submitting our papers for review by other schools and reviewing their work. Putting that academic work that students really have a lot of pride in out into the world is valuable.”

While the Supreme Court class is looking at the law from its highest point, the Mock Trial team is putting it into action. This is the third year of the class in the Upper School, and the second year in the Middle School. In this class, students take on a variety of courtroom roles from lawyers to witnesses, and even bailiffs. They study every aspect of the case presented to them and then participate in tournaments where they argue both the prosecution and defense sides against other Utah schools.

“There is so much preparation that goes into it before we even set foot in the courtroom,” said junior Rana Rakib. “You have to know every part of the case and how to use them and be confident in what you are saying. And even then, the other side can take the advantage just in the way they make their arguments.”

Not a lot of teams were able to take advantage of the squads from Rowland Hall in last year’s competition. The Upper School team more than doubled their number of wins from the year before, finished 10th in the state, and won multiple awards, including “Star Witness” and “Star Attorney.” The Middle School team also finished 10th and won several awards.

“You can’t just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks,” said team co-captain Emery Lieberman. “You have to think strategically and be very composed, and we have gotten better at this as a team every year since we’ve been competing. It will be exciting to see what we can accomplish this year.”

Our goal as students is to participate in society in ways that matter and ways that help people. So to be able to see what’s happening and who needs help through a legal lens is really important.—Grey Obermark, class of 2027

All of this work, from Mock Trial to law review, isn’t just an academic exercise; it’s about making a difference in the world. The students are not only being encouraged to understand their rights and liberties, but how to help others understand them and fight for them as well.

“Being an activist is only so good unless you can change the law,” said Mike. “Knowing the law and understanding where injustice occurs and being able to speak the language of power helps people fight for a more just world.”

It’s a cause the students are eager to take on.

“Law pervades any successful society, and thus to be successful in society you need a fundamental understanding of the law,” said sophomore Gregory House. “There is a real necessity in knowing how the legal system works.”

Added Grey, “Our goal as students is to participate in society in ways that matter and ways that help people. So to be able to see what’s happening and who needs help through a legal lens is really important.”

These students aren’t just learning how the legal system works—they’re preparing to step into it with clarity, confidence, and a commitment to justice.

---

Banner: Members of the 2024–2025 Mock Trial team in the courtroom, March 2025. This year’s team is currently preparing for 2026 competition.

Experiential Learning