Photos by Karen Quincy Loberg / Star staff Michelle Thomas gets some one-on-one coaching from attorney Thomas C. Mundell as the La Reina High School Mock Trial team prepares for the state championships this weekend in Riverside.

Like any champion team right before a big game, a group of La Reina High School students reviewed their game plan, anticipating what the competition might throw at them.

For the past few weeks, team members have not been seen without their "playbook" or folder, meeting at least a few hours almost every day to review strategies.

After weeks of practicing, the students from the all-girls Catholic high school in Thousand Oaks are finally ready to put on their "uniforms" — black power suits, crisp blue shirts and high heels — not for an athletic event, but for the state mock trial competition this weekend.

"Our team is definitely like La Reina's (version of a) football team," said senior Tera Lutz, who plays a prosecution attorney. "That's the best I can compare it to."

La Reina won the county mock trial competition last month, earning the chance to take on student teams from across the state starting today in Riverside, where they will argue the whodunit murder case People v. Palmer in front of judges.

The winner of the state competition, to be announced Sunday, will advance to the national finals May 8-10 in Wilmington, Del.

La Reina has won the county event five years in a row and 15 times since 1990. Last year, it finished third in the state competition.

Students portray principal characters, from the prosecutor to the defendant, during a fake trial.

With the guidance of coaches, including teachers, attorneys and prosecutors, teams conduct legal research to prepare their cases before actual judges and court commissioners.

Students are scored on several criteria, including pretrial motion, opening statement, direct examination, witness performance and overall team performance.

On Wednesday, La Reina's team divided into sections. Some met with coaches Liz Harlacher and Sharon Gronberg in the school library, while others worked with coach Thomas Mundell at his law firm in Westlake Village.

"It's about refining and polishing individual points now," said Mundell, who shut down his firm for two weeks to concentrate on practicing with the girls.

Mundell's 17-year-old daughter, Amanda, is the team's captain. She said this year's group is driven to do its best.

It's almost "an obsession," said Amanda with a laugh. She sometimes has dreams that she is arguing her case in court but said her involvement on the team since her freshman year has provided her with valuable life skills.

"It's helped me think on my toes and anticipate the unexpected, thriving under pressure and learning to cope with it in a healthy way," said Amanda, who plans to study medicine in college.

Junior Julianne Brauer, who plays a prosecution attorney, said her mock trial experience has helped her become more confident.

"I'm really incredibly shy, and mock trial has helped me open up," Brauer said. "I'm much braver now."

While Thomas Mundell went over pretrial arguments with team members Amanda Turk and Lauren Dansey, some of the other girls were busy watching the movie "Enchanted" in the library. The movie break was not for entertainment, but rather for a quick study session on actress Amy Adams' princesslike moves.

Piper Nuñez, who plays an actress and star witness, plans to use Adams' moves for effect during her time on the witness stand.

"You've got to ham it up more," coach Harlacher told Nuñez, who proceeded to flash a wide grin and move her hands daintily.

It won't be all hard work for the mock trial competitors. As usual, there will be a dance Saturday, where teams will have the opportunity to just have fun after two days of intense competition.

The top two teams will compete Sunday, with the winner announced later.

La Reina's team members will add another county championship to their banner that hangs in the gym next to the sports teams' banners, and for the first time, they hope to add a state title.

"We're all really excited to show everyone what we've been preparing," said Hannah Harper, 17, who will play the role of a defense attorney. "We've gotten really close before."