HARRISBURG (Jan. 30, 2019) —This month, 287 teams from 242 high schools across Pennsylvania will be competing in district and regional levels of the Statewide Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Pennsylvania’s mock trial program, now in its 36th year, is one of the largest in the nation.
“For participating students across Pennsylvania, this mock trial competition is more than an academic exercise,” said Alaina C. Koltash of Harrisburg, chair of the association’s Young Lawyers Division. “These students will gain a working knowledge of our justice system, plus successful dispute resolution techniques, and valuable presentation, critical-thinking and teamwork skills that will serve them well throughout their lifetimes.”
During the competition, eight-member student teams are given the opportunity to argue both sides of the case in an actual courtroom before a judge. The students, who play the roles of lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants, are assisted by teacher coaches and lawyer advisors in preparing for competition. Lawyers and community leaders serve as jurors for the mock trials. The juries determine the winners in each trial based on the teams’ abilities to prepare their cases, present arguments and follow court rules.
The district and regional levels of the competition will continue throughout February and March. At the conclusion of the local competitions, 14 high school mock trial teams will advance to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships, March 29 and 30, in Harrisburg.
The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 16 – 18 in Athens, Ga.
The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is providing funding support for the statewide competition.
Serving as co-chairs of the Mock Trial Executive Committee are PBA Young Lawyers Division Immediate Past Chair Jonathan D. Koltash of Harrisburg and Young Lawyers Division Chair-elect Jennifer Menichini of Pittston.
This year’s hypothetical case is a criminal jury trial in which the defendant, a local pain management doctor, is accused of prescribing opiate painkillers outside the realm of normal medical practice, resulting in the overdose death of his patient.
The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia, Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia, Koltash and Talia Charme-Zane, an alumna of the Pennsylvania mock trial program and former captain of the Central High School team in Philadelphia.
For more information about the 2019 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships and to read this year’s case, visit https://www.pabar.org/site/For-the-Public/Mock-Trial-Competition. Interested volunteers should contact Maria Engles of the Pennsylvania Bar Association at 800-932-0311, extension 2223.
Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.
Teams participating in the 2019 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:
REGION 1 — Allegheny County
- Baldwin High School
- Bethel Park High School
- Eden Christian Academy
- Fox Chapel Area High School
- Gateway High School
- Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
- Montour High School
- Mount Lebanon High School
- Pine-Richland High School
- Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
- Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
- Plum Borough Senior High School
- Quaker Valley High School
- Saint Joseph High School
- Seton LaSalle High School
- Sewickley Academy
- Shaler Area High School
- South Fayette High School
- South Park High School
- Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
- Taylor Allderdice High School
- Thomas Jefferson High School
- Upper St. Clair High School
- West Mifflin High School
- Woodland Hills Jr./Sr. High School
REGION 2 — Northwest
District 1: (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties)
- Ambridge Area High School
- Beaver Area High School (two teams)
- Blackhawk High School
- Butler Area High School (two teams)
- Central Valley High School
- Freeport Area High School
- Hopewell High School
- Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School
- Moniteau High School
- Neshannock Jr./Sr. High School (two teams)
- New Brighton Senior High School
- North Catholic High School
- Quigley Catholic High School
- Riverside High School
- Seneca Valley High School (two teams)
- Wilmington Area High School
District 2: (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties)
- Conneaut Area Senior High School
- Cranberry Area Jr./Sr. High School
- Fort LeBoeuf High School
- Grove City High School
- McDowell High School
- Meadville Area Senior High School
- Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy
- Northwestern High School
- Sheffield Area Middle/High School
- Youngsville High School
REGION 3 — Southwest
District 1: (Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties)
- Derry Area High School
- Franklin Regional Senior High School
- Greensburg Salem High School
- Kiski Area High School
- Penn-Trafford High School
- Southmoreland High School
District 2: (Greene, Fayette and Washington counties)
- Connellsville Area High School
- Fort Cherry/Burgettstown High School
- Frazier High School
- Peters Township High School
- Ringgold High School (two teams)
- Trinity High School (two teams)
District 3: (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Mifflin counties)
- Altoona Area High School (two teams)
- Bedford High School
- Bellwood-Antis High School
- Bishop McCort Catholic High School
- Central Cambria High School
- Central High School (two teams)
- Forest Hills High School
- Huntingdon Area High School
- Tyrone Area High School (two teams)
- Windber Area High School
REGION 4 — Northcentral
District 1: (Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Jefferson counties)
- Bald Eagle Area High School
- Bellefonte Area High School
- Brockway Jr./Sr. High School
- DuBois Area High School
- DuBois Central Catholic High School
- Grace Preparatory High School
- Montoursville Area High School
- Punxsutawney Area High School
- Saint Joseph’ Catholic Academy
- State College High School
District 3: (Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter counties)
- Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
- Galeton Area High School
- Kane Area High School
- Oswayo Valley High School
- Otto-Eldred High School
- Smethport Area High School
REGION 5 — East Central
District 1: (Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties)
- Allentown Central Catholic High School (two teams)
- Antietam Middle-Senior High School
- Berks Catholic High School
- Bethlehem Catholic High School
- Boyertown Area Senior High School
- Brandywine Heights High School
- Conrad Weiser High School
- Cumberland Valley Christian School
- Emmaus High School (two teams)
- Exeter Senior High School
- Fleetwood Area High School
- Nazareth Area High School
- Northampton High School
- Notre Dame High School
- Parkland High School
- Pen Argyl Area High School
- Reading Senior High School
- Schuylkill Valley High School
- Wilson High School
District 2: (Luzerne and Schuylkill counties)
- Dallas High School
- Hazleton Area High School
- Holy Redeemer High School
- MMI Preparatory School
- Tunkhannock Area High School
- Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School
REGION 6 — Southcentral
District 1: (Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon and Perry counties)
- Big Spring High School
- Bishop McDevitt High School
- Central Dauphin High School
- Cumberland Valley Christian School
- Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
- Milton Hershey School
- Susquenita High School
- Trinity High School
District 2: (Adams and York counties)
- Dover Area High School
- Kennard-Dale High School
- Red Lion Area Senior High School
- Spring Grove High School (four teams)
- West York Area High School
- York Catholic High School
District 3: (Lancaster County)
- Conestoga High School
- Hempfield High School
- J.P. McCaskey High School (two teams)
- Lancaster Catholic High School
- Lancaster Country Day School
- Manheim Township High School
- Penn Manor High School
- Solanco High School
REGION 7 — Southeast
District 1: (Chester County)
- B. Reed Henderson High School
- Bishop Shanahan High School (two teams)
- Conestoga High School
- Devon Preparatory School
- Downingtown High School West
- Downingtown STEM Academy
- Great Valley High School
- Malvern Preparatory School
- Kennett High School (two teams)
- Owen J. Roberts High School
- Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (three teams)
- Villa Maria Academy High School
- West Chester East High School
District 2: (Delaware County)
- Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
- Archbishop John Carroll High School
- Cardinal O’Hara High School
- Delaware County Christian School
- Episcopal Academy (three teams)
- Marple Newtown Senior High School
- Merion Mercy Academy (two teams)
- Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School
- Penn Wood High School (two teams)
- Ridley High School (two teams)
- Springfield High School
- Strath Haven High School
- Upper Darby High School
District 3: (Bucks County)
- Archbishop Wood High School
- Bensalem High School
- Bristol High School
- Central Bucks High School East
- Central Bucks High School South (two teams)
- Central Bucks High School West
- Council Rock High School North
- Council Rock High School South (two teams)
- Holicong Middle School
- Holy Ghost Preparatory School
- Lenape Middle School
- New Hope-Solebury High School
- Pennridge High School
- Plumstead Christian School
- Villa Joseph Marie High School
REGION 8 — Philadelphia
- Abraham Lincoln High School
- Academy at Palumbo High School
- Archbishop Ryan High School
- CAPA
- Central High School of Philadelphia (two teams)
- Constitution High School
- Esperanza Academy Charter School
- Franklin Learning Center
- Germantown Friends School (three teams)
- Girard Academic Music School
- Girard College High School
- Imhotep Institute Charter High School
- Little Flower High School
- Northeast High School
- Philadelphia Academy Charter High School
- Philadelphia High School for Girls
- Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
- Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School (two teams)
- Science Leadership Academy at Beeber
- Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
- Tacony Academy Charter School
- The Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School
- William Penn Charter School (two teams)
REGION 9 — Montgomery County
- Abington Senior High School (two teams)
- Friends Central School (two teams)
- Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
- Harriton High School
- Hatboro-Horsham High School
- Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy (two teams)
- Jenkintown High School (two teams)
- La Salle College High School (two teams)
- Lower Merion High School (two teams)
- Lower Moreland High School (two teams)
- Methacton High School (two teams)
- Mount Saint Joseph Academy (two teams)
- North Penn High School
- Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (two teams)
- Saint Basil Academy
- Souderton Area High School
- Springfield Township High School
- The Baldwin School
- The Haverford School (two teams)
- The Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia
- Upper Dublin High School
- Wissahickon High School
REGION 10 — Northeast
District 1: (Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties)
- Abington Heights High School
- Carbondale Area Jr./Sr. High School
- Dunmore High School
- Holy Cross High School
- Honesdale High School
- Mid Valley High School
- North Pocono High School
- Scranton High School
- Scranton Preparatory School
- Valley View High School
- West Scranton High School
- Western Wayne High School
District 2: (Carbon, Monroe and Pike counties)
- Delaware Valley High School
- East Stroudsburg High School — North
- East Stroudsburg High School — South
- Jim Thorpe Area High School
- Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School
- Palmerton Area High School
- Pleasant Valley High School
- Pocono Mountain East High School
- Pocono Mountain West High School
- Stroudsburg Area High School