Pritzker Practice VIII: Honoring a Legacy, Shaping the Next Generation of Advocates

In its eighth year, Pritzker Practice has grown into one of the most significant preparatory events for high school mock trial teams across Southern California, bringing together more than 250 students for a full day of rigorous scrimmages on the LJCDS campus.

Designed as an immersive pre-season experience, Pritzker Practice offers students four complete rounds of mock trial before presiding judges who are attorneys, law students, and mock trial veterans. Participants argue cases, respond to objections, deliver closing arguments, and, just as importantly, receive thoughtful feedback from judges with diverse legal backgrounds. The goal is not simply competition, but growth. Students leave better prepared, more confident, and more attuned to the nuances of courtroom advocacy.

The impact of the day is undeniable. In recent years, teams who participated in Pritzker Practice have gone on to win county championships and place highly at the state level, including multiple regional champions and state finalists. For many students, the experience marks a turning point, when preparation becomes performance and theory comes to life.

What truly sets Pritzker Practice apart, however, is the community behind it.

Judges join from both near and far, some in person and others Zooming in from across the country and around the world. This year, 18 of the judges are La Jolla Country Day School alumni, including former Torrey Mock Trial competitors who once stood at counsel table themselves and have since pursued careers in law. Their participation creates a powerful sense of continuity, connecting past and present through a common commitment towards mentorship and learning.

At the heart of this tradition is the memory of Glen Pritzker, for whom the event is named.

Mr. Pritzker, who passed away in 2016, left an indelible mark on the La Jolla Country Day School community and an extraordinary legacy of energetic kindness. During his time at LJCDS, Glen wore many hats. He was a teacher of English, journalism, and psychology, an enthusiastic mock trial coach, a competitive tennis player and coach, a capable administrator, and a devoted husband and father to Joely ’03 and George ’06. He was also a lover of music, drama, literature, art, and culture, and he brought that passion into every space he occupied.

Yet it was not what Mr. Pritzker did that made him so deeply loved, but how he did it. Colleagues and students alike spoke of his “generosity of being,” a limitless enthusiasm for every student, every class, every conversation. Mr. Pritzker had a rare ability to see potential in everyone. He challenged students to think critically, to see both sides of an argument, and to approach learning with curiosity, empathy, and purpose.

As Malik Power ’17 once wrote, the outward details of Mr. Pritzker’s presence, his baseball cap, booming voice, vibrant gestures, and eclectic soundtrack, only hinted at the deeper impact he had through empathic conversations, perspective-shifting questions, and an unwavering belief in his students. At his core, Mr. Pritzker was a peacemaker. He brought people together, found common ground, and helped students discover confidence and peace within themselves as they explored fulfilling and purposeful paths.

Though none of today’s Torrey Mock Trial students worked directly with Mr. Pritzker, his influence is deeply felt at Pritzker Practice. It lives on through the alumni who return as judges, many of whom learned under his guidance, and through the values that define the event itself. Rigor balanced with kindness. Competition grounded in respect. Advocacy rooted in empathy.

Pritzker Practice stands as both a premier mock trial experience and a living tribute. Each round argued, each objection ruled upon, and each moment of feedback shared carries forward Glen Pritzker’s enduring belief in the transformative power of education and the profound impact of meeting students with generosity, curiosity, and care.