Washington Courts: Press Release DetailWashington high school students to compete this weekend for state Mock Trial champions, chance at national titleMarch 24, 2015
Hundreds of Washington state high school students from 24 schools will compete this weekend in Olympia to become the Washington state Mock Trial champions as they take on the roles of either prosecution or defense in a fictitious criminal trial inspired by the Edward Snowden case. The YMCA Mock Trial State Finals Competition will pit 24 high school teams from around the state against each other March 27 – 29 at the Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia. The students engage in four rounds of competition serving as members of either the prosecution team or the defense team, challenging and reacting to each other as attorneys, witnesses and defendants based on the details of the case. The top two teams compete for the championship on Sunday, March 29, which will be televised by TVW.
Washington’s 2014 championship team — Seattle Prep High School — won the national championship in Wisconsin last May. It was the second Washington team to win the national title; Franklin High School from Seattle took the national title in 2000. Washington state champions have consistently placed in the top 20 national teams and are often in the top 10.
Judges and attorneys from across the state volunteer throughout the weekend to preside over the trials and rate the teams. The competition begins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Thurston County Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW in Olympia, with teams competing throughout the three courthouse buildings. On Saturday, competition continues with rounds beginning at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Washington Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu will preside over the championship round at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday in Thurston County Superior Court.
Schools competing in the 2015 state finals competition include:
Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis serves as Program Chair of the statewide YMCA Mock Trial program. The fictional case was written by King County Superior Court Judge William Downing.
Mock Trial is part of the YMCA Youth & Government Program, which works to help young people experience democracy in action through both Mock Trial and the YMCA Youth Legislature program. The Youth & Government program celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2012, and the Mock Trial program celebrated its 25th anniversary the same year.
Also sponsoring the event are the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Washington State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, TVW, the Washington Judges Foundation and the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association.
Mock Trial allows students to participate in a true-to-life courtroom drama. High school teams of attorneys and witnesses prepare the case for trial and compete at district levels before real judges in actual courtrooms. “Juries" of attorneys rate the teams for their presentation, while the presiding judges rule on the motions, objections, and ultimately the merits. Participants develop critical thinking and analytical skills, learn the art of oral advocacy, and gain a respect for the role of law and the judiciary.
CONTACT: Sarah Clinton, YMCA Youth & Government Executive Director, (360) 357-3475; Clark County Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis, Mock Trial State Program Chairman, (360) 397-2226; Lorrie Thompson, Communications Officer, Administrative Office of the Courts, (360) 705-5347, Lorrie.Thompson@courts.wa.gov
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