The
Young Lawyers Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association has sponsored
Pennsylvania’s High School Mock Trial Competition for nearly three
decades. The competition is one of the largest in the nation typically
involving more than 290 High Schools from across the Commonwealth.
Students in teams of eight act as lawyers and witnesses in simulated
civil trials before actual judges and jury panels. The competition
provides outstanding preparation for today’s high school students to
become tomorrow’s lawyers. Many Pennsylvania lawyers discovered their
future careers during participation in Pennsylvania’s state wide mock
trial competition. Each year hundreds of attorneys from across the state
volunteer to assist students as team advisors, scorekeepers and district
and regional coordinators. And each year the winning team from
Pennsylvania’s competition goes forward to represent the Commonwealth in
the national competition.
Lycoming
Law Association members also have a long standing history of involvement
in the competition.
Danelle Hampton,
Francesca Schultz and
Terra Koernig are the District Coordinators for
District 2 which includes High Schools from Union, Columbia, Lycoming,
Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Tioga Counties since 2006.
Amanda Browning is the Regional Coordinator for Region 4
which includes the Counties of District 2 along with District 1 (Centre,
Clearfield and Clinton) and District 3 (Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter)
since 2006. The Lycoming Law Association Mock Trial Committee consisting
of
John Pietrovito,
George Lepley, Jr.,
Terra Koernig,
Rita Alexyn,
Francesca Schultz and
Donald Martino also meets annually to make sure the competition
continues its strong history in Lycoming County. The LLA. also provides
funds to assist District and Regional coordinators and provide rewards
for the winning team at both the District and Regional level.
The
Competition begins in each of the three local districts and the
winning team from each district proceeds to the semi-final trials at
the regional level. Coordinators work together with high school
staff, attorney advisors, the court and local lawyers to provide a
series of jury trials for the students culminating in a Regional
Final held each year in the Federal Courthouse in Lycoming County
and presided over by our local Federal Judges. The winning team from
the Regional Final proceeds to the Statewide Competition in
Harrisburg. Each school fields a team made up of students in ninth
through twelfth grade consisting of eight members. Students in each
team act as attorneys and witnesses for their party at trial and all
teams are required to participate as both Plaintiff and Defendant.
The winning team is determined by a score issued by the local
attorneys acting as jurors.
The Mock Trial Competition in District 2 and Region 4 would not be possible without the members of the Lycoming Law Association who volunteer their time and efforts to act as jurors and attorney advisors and the judges who volunteer their time and their courtrooms and staff to preside over the competitions.
Read more at the Pennsylvania Bar Association site.