“OB Legal”: an exercise to engage your learners in setting the dial at this turning point—set back or step forward? 

a. Run a brief mock trial.

b. The jury is here to render a verdict in the case of Mead vs. Coggin. Alternatively, in the case of Coggin vs. Mead. 

c. Assign about twelve members of the class to the jury.

d. Secure a volunteer to play Dan and one to be Frances.

e. Divide the rest of the class into a defense team and a prosecution team.

f. Poll the class to determine who is on trial for wronging the other and costing Puma a promising super talent.

g. Allow time for the teams to huddle and select a representative to examine the defendant. 

h. Coach the people playing Dan and Frances to act out a stubborn belief that their assigned characters are in the right.

i. The only witness for the prosecution will be the plaintiff (either Dan or Frances).

j. Give them about fifteen minutes to expose the situation to the jury.

k. Ask the jury to huddle and come back in five minutes with a verdict. Will it be “Guilty of failure to motivate” on Frances’ part, or “Guilty of failure to motivate himself” on Dan’s part? Another verdict could be that both are innocent, with reasons.