The Fort Law Team poses for a photo. Photo provided by Randy Kaminsky.
Fort Hamilton’s Law Team ended its season in April and finished in the top 16 of New York City teams after four different rounds in two different courthouses. This was the team’s first in-person competition since the start of the pandemic and the final competition for the team’s two co-captains. The law team competed and won against schools such as Brooklyn Latin and New Utrecht, culminating in a season that made members of the team, including the team coach Mr. Randy Kaminsky, immensely proud.
The law team’s practices began in December; competitions began on February 28. The team worked on a fictional case surrounding a workplace accident, wherein a worker, Remington Stone, got electrocuted after falling off a ladder on site. This worker was accused of being drunk on the job, leading up to the accident. The team was thus split into two sides, the defense, representing Marley Miser, the homeowner being sued, and the plaintiff, representing Stone.
“I was most proud watching how the team kept making progress and getting better each week,” Mr. Kaminsky, who also currently teaches Fort Hamilton’s law classes, noted.
“When the competitions came the team was just so impressive to watch. I was truly so proud of how well the team worked hard, worked together and truly stayed focused on getting better.” Sophia DeCamp, defense lawyer, junior, and longtime member of the law team, shared Mr. Kaminsky’s sentiments. “I’ve been on the Law Team for two years now, there’s not a doubt in my mind that we got this far because of our amazing relationship as a team,” she said. “We work really well together – we’ve kind of built a small family with the way that we collaborate.”
What all could agree on was how much the members owed to each other and to Mr. Kaminsky. “Being surrounded by so many intellectual people is exciting,” co-captain Yezen Braick told The Pilot.
“Mr. Kaminsky, our advisor and our guiding force, was definitely the reason why we had such a passion to strive for greatness,” DeCamp added. “He was our biggest motivator and supporter throughout all of this.” The law team is optimistic for another successful year and new chances to develop the same bonds that made this year so special.