Help us congratulate and say goodbye to Mock Trial and Mock Appeal Program Manager Luke Matys, who will be leaving staff at the end of July. He will be starting a new job with The Possible Zone, which assists high school students on their vocational and higher education paths.
Hired as a Senior Education Associate in October of 2019, Luke jumped right into the middle of Discovering Justiceâs fall Mock Trial program. When COVID hit the next spring, the Mock Appeal Program was put on hold and Luke dove deep into the Programsâ curricula, format, and student lessons to make it available and accessible online. In the Fall of 2020, the program resumed and old and new schools joined the Program virtually. In 2021, Luke was promoted to Program Manager and his leadership has helped grow the Programs to nearly 30 teams, more than doubling its pre-pandemic size.
âLukeâs ability and passion for building connections with legal mentors, teachers, school administrators, and middle school students made him a unique fit to manage the Mock Appeal and Mock Trial Programs,â said Matt Wilson, Discovering Justiceâs Executive Director. âWe know he will excel in his new role at The Possible Zone.â
Luke accomplished much in his four years here. And he did it all with his wit and a smile on his face.
- With the help of legal volunteers, he created two new cases for the Programs, one on First Amendment free speech issues and the other on 4th Amendment search and seizure issues.
- He led the expansion of our work in many of the Commonwealthâs Gateway Cities – Brockton, Framingham, Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester.
- He trained and oversaw nine Mock Trial/Appeal Fellows providing training and mentorship to these young professionals and helping them start their nonprofit career.
- Each semester he trained and managed more than 125 mentors and more than 25 teachers a semester to serve the 400+ students in the Programs.
- He oversaw the first team outside of Massachusetts with the addition of a middle school in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Under his management, the Programs now have its culminating events in the Moakley and ten Federal and District Courts across the Commonwealth.
While the staff at Discovering Justice is sad to see Luke leave, we are excited to see what is next for him and how he continues to use his skills and talents to help educate and energize the next generation.
-Matt Wilson and the whole Discovering Justice Staff