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Miami Palmetto High School rising senior Naohmi Linares is a member of the Mock Trial Club at school. The club is connected to the new Law Studies Class that started in the 2-24-2025 school year.
“I am very passionate about the law,” she says. “My dream is to be a lawyer. I took the opportunity to take the class. It’s a very hands-on class. The law class just built and grew my passion for law even deeper.”
Linares says the teacher leads the class as if they are in law school.
“We were actually learning how to argue,” she says. “We’re learning to argue facts before the court.”
Even though it was just the first year, the members of the Mock Trial Club took part in two Mock Court competitions. They plan to attend more competitions this school year.
One of the competitions was against Columbus High School.
“We did well,” she says. “The prosecution starts and then the defense goes. Our school went first, and Columbus was the defense. Our school won the first round as the prosecution, and then the second round, Columbus won as the prosecution.”
They also participated in a county competition. In that competition, Palmetto’s team received good comments and high scores against one school. The scoring gives points to individual lawyers.
“We competed against two schools,” she says. “The first competition they beat us, but we still got good comments and good points. The second competition we won. Again, with good comments and good points.”
When it comes to the competitions, her favorite part is the prosecution.
“Because prosecution, them being the state, they have to prove and state the facts,” she says. “Facts are more provable so when it comes to prosecution your job is the facts why the person is guilty or not guilty. Your job is the facts why the person is guilty or not guilty.
In defense, you have to be a little more creative. Prosecution you state the facts. You stand on hard based facts to prove the point.”
At school, she is a member of DECA, a business club.
“The club is part of the business management class,” she says.
She’s on the DECA board as club co-historian.
The business management class teaches the students entrepreneurship and how to run a business.
With the new school year, her school schedule will change since she’s taking an elective that allows her to leave school early to go to work. She will be paid to work at her father’s real estate company as a secretary and assistant.
The job is of interest to her since she’s considering going into either real estate law or family law.
“I’m definitely interested in learning more,” she says. “I would like to have experience in more than one thing. I think working with my dad in real estate will be an interesting experience. It will introduce real estate law to me.”
This year, Linares plans to join the Debate Club and participate in debate competitions.
The colleges she’s considering applying to are all in Miami. They include Florida International University, Miami-Dade Honors College, St. Thomas University, or the University of Miami.
Outside of school, Linares is a leader of the Connect Group at the Alpha and Omega Church. She and her co-leader meet with 14–18-year-old girls at the church and talk to them about the Sunday service.
“We lead and guide them. Every week I send a devotional and encourage them for that week. They meet every other Thursday.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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