The scene: A group of attorneys stand in front of the judge's bench.

Flashbulbs are popping and a video camera is rolling. The air is tense. And as soon as the judge announces the verdict, one side of the courtroom erupts in cheers and applause.

Lynbrook High School has won the case—and the 22nd annual Santa Clara County Mock Trial Tournament. Next, the 18-member team will compete in the California State Mock Trial in Riverside March 28­30.

According to faculty coach and social science teacher David Pugh, the county win against Saratoga High School "represents Lynbrook's second appearance at the state tournament in the 22 years of the competition."

Ian Kass, a Saratoga native and alumnus of Lynbrook, is one of the attorney coaches for the team. "They were excellent. They definitely had their act together," Kass said.

Lynbrook had beaten other county high schools in four preliminary rounds, the quarterfinals and the semifinals to arrive at the Feb. 19 finals. One of the schools that Lynbrook defeated was Lincoln High School, the previous county and state champion. "Once you get to the quarters, things get really tense," Kass said.

"Our entire team was just holding hands" when the winner was announced, said senior Abby Silberman, a Saratoga resident who took the role of a policewoman on the team.

Three trial attorneys, one pretrial attorney, one courtroom artist and four witnesses—including Silberman's policewoman—were among the roles that students took on in the hypothetical murder case.

Kass, who has been coaching at Lynbrook for seven years, says team members come from various extracurricular programs at the school, including drama and athletics. Members are recruited in the spring, with attorney training conducted over the summer, and then case-specific preparation occurs from October to February.

The students meet two to three times a week to prepare for the county tournament. "Amazingly, the students don't get any credit for it. It's all extracurricular," Kass said.

Silberman said, however, that mock trial is one of the most worthwhile extracurricular activities that she has been involved with. "It's inherent with any team sport that you become friends with them. But with these people, it's like family," Silberman said. "We're closer than any other team I've been on."

And of coaches Kass and attorney Mark Shem, Silberman said, "They're always willing to give you praise, but they're never stingy with what you need to do better. They are so, so supportive."

Saratoga resident Audrey Kuo added, "We learn so much from them. They know what they're talking about because they're real lawyers."

Since being part of the mock trial team, Silberman says she has developed an interest in going to law school, especially after seeing some of her peers act as lawyers.

On the flip side, Kuo said, "I've always been interested in law." Kuo, a junior, played a prosecution lawyer for this trial and is in her second year on the team.

"It's a challenge to go before a real judge and have to think on your feet," Kuo said. "And there's a lot of preparation that goes into it, but it pays off."

Kass agrees. "It's extremely rewarding," he said. "One of the things we've always wanted to see them do is have the feeling of winning."

Before the team leaves for Riverside at the end of the month, it must raise the funds to cover travel and other expenses. Kass says those fundraising efforts include holding a car wash; having a night at Chevy's, where the restaurant will donate a portion of the proceeds to the mock trial program; and writing letters to several area law firms, asking for donations.