Mattison distinguished herself in not only equaling the same placing as a previous Springfield High competitor, but also as the school’s youngest such competitor it has sent, having completed her sophomore year a few weeks prior.
“I went in to get experience, so this was unexpected, but I’m proud,” she said.
Whereas mock trials are normally done on as a team, this competition selects individuals. Mattison’s coaches, attorneys Katy and Mike Osborn and Megan Farley, recommended she apply for the competition and Mattison was surprised she was accepted, just getting to an airport for a trip in late June when she got the confirmation.
The following weeks were spent memorizing, reading over the cases and preparing with the coaches. Mattison had only previously done her competitions virtually, which was a point to work on.
“Hannah has always been a hard worker and a stellar performer, but this is a competition among the best of the best, so she had to be flawless,” said Katy Osborn. “Not only that, Hannah was one of the youngest competitors, so she had to make up for her lack of experience by working twice as hard.”
Competitors were expected to take on four roles – each trial has two attorneys, one per side, and two witnesses, with the competitors compared to one another. There were four rounds with a prosecutor, defense attorney, prosecution witness and defense witness, 15 minutes to get ready.
Being the first time in a real court situation was a dose of reality from group mock trials.
“It was definitely intimidating,” Mattison said. “It was overwhelming and we ran over it again and again and prepared really well.”
Katy Osborn said Mattison was completely ready to go and watching her to come to life in the courtroom was amazing.
Going in, Mattison preferred the witness role as there was less pressure, but gradually found she liked the attorney role. With a background in theater, she was advised giving speeches was similar to performing, with a rush of adrenaline, not unlike an athlete getting set to play.
“I treated it like it’s a stage performance and watched the reactions,” Mattison said.
Katy Osborn agreed, saying Mattison captivated the “jurors” with a combination of intellect, quick thinking and charm.
She barely missed the tournament semifinals, losing by just a half-point to the eventual competition champion.
“One of the things I love most about mock trial is watching our students see that hard work pays off. Hannah definitely earned her top 10 finish. She is truly a joy to be around and a pleasure to coach and we are incredibly proud of her,” Katy Osborn said.
With the experience and confidence gained, it’s given Mattison several future considerations. She will bring her knowledge back to the Springfield High team and possibly chosen a career path.
“The more I’ve gotten into it, it makes me want to pursue being a lawyer,” she said.
Having these skills also helps in classes including public speaking and writing, as contestants had to write own material. And with two more years of eligibility to compete, Mattison wants to go back to Atlanta with a goal of placing even higher.
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