This ‘law dog’ rules the County pound

Jackson Bell

Meredith Applegate likes the rush that comes with court trials.

Which helps explain why the Burbank High School senior is a

three-year member of Law Dogs, the school’s mock trial team.

“I definitely get a charge when I’m in competition and have

objections that are overruled or sustained and I see how the other

team reacts,” she said. “I feed off the energy of the room.”

Meredith’s interest and talents were recognized this week when she

received the Alan I. Rothenberg Award as the Outstanding Student

Litigator of the 2003 Los Angeles County Mock Trial competition.

Perfect scores on her closing arguments during last month’s

competition helped her wrap up the honor.

Dave Wasserman, a Burbank High government teacher and Law Dogs

sponsor, said Meredith’s award came as no surprise to him. Wasserman

said he instantly recognized her talent when she first joined the

team.

“At the start of this season I was convinced that there were no

other kids in the program who could match her talent,” he said. “She

is an exceptional kid. She’s very bright and has a great capacity to

think on her feet.”

And Wasserman said she outperformed more than her fellow students.

“She was cogent and convincing,” he said. “Most of the [mock]

judges, who are professional lawyers or judges, said she is better

than most people they encounter in courtrooms.”

As captain of Law Dogs, Meredith helped the club place in the top

16 out of more than 70 teams participating in the competition.

“Our team has come a long way and hopefully will keep climbing,”

she said. “I have high hopes for Law Dogs in the future.”

Wasserman also received an award for more than 30 years of

involvement with the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the

organization that runs the competition.