HARRISBURG (Jan. 29, 2020) —This month, 285 teams from 235 high schools across Pennsylvania will be competing in district and regional levels of the Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Young Lawyers Division.
Pennsylvania’s mock trial program, now in its 37th year, is one of the largest in the nation.
“This mock trial competition not only provides students with valuable dispute resolution, presentation, critical-thinking and teamwork skills, but it also gives them a working knowledge of our justice system,” said Jennifer Menichini of Pittston, chair of the association’s Young Lawyers Division. “These are all things that will serve them well, both professionally and personally, in the years to come.”
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 PBA Statewide Mock Trial Championships, March 27 and 28, in Harrisburg.
The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 6 – 9 in Evansville, Ind.
The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the PBA, is providing funding support for the statewide competition.
Serving as co-chairs of the Mock Trial Executive Committee are former PBA Young Lawyers Division Chair Jonathan D. Koltash of Harrisburg and Menichini.
This year’s hypothetical case, Addison Babbage v. Ruffed Grouse High School LLC, is a civil trial to determine whether the defendant is liable for failing to address cyberbullying at a private school.
The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia, Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia and Koltash. All three have been involved in the drafting of these materials for the past six years.
For more information about the 2020 PBA 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 the PBA’s Maria Engles 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 2020 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:
REGION 1 — Allegheny County
Allderdice High School
Baldwin High School
Chartiers Valley High School (two teams)
Eden Christian Academy
Fox Chapel Area High School
Gateway Senior High School
Montour High School
Mount Lebanon High School (two teams)
North Allegheny Senior High School
Pine Richland High School (two teams)
Pittsburgh CAPA
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Quaker Valley High School
Seton-LaSalle Catholic High School
Sewickley Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette High School
South Park High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
The Neighborhood Academy
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
West Mifflin Area High School
Woodland Hills 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 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 & Lincoln High School
Seneca Valley Senior High School (two teams)
Wilmington Area High School
District 2: (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties)
Cranberry Area Jr./Sr. High School
Fort LeBoeuf High School
Grove City High School
McDowell High School
Meadville Area Senior High School
North East High School
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy
Northwestern High School
Sheffield Middle/Senior High School
Youngsville Middle 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
Trinity Area High School
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
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area High School
Huntingdon Area High School
Richland 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
DuBois Area High School
DuBois Central Catholic High School
Grace Preparatory High School
Montoursville Area High School
Saint Joseph Catholic Academy
State College Area High School
District 3: (Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter counties)
Bradford Area High School
Brockway Area High School
Coudersport Area High School
Kane Area High School
Oswayo Valley Middle/High School
Otto-Eldred Jr./Sr. High School
Saint Marys Area High School
Smethport Area High School
REGION 5 — East Central
District 1: (Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties)
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Antietam Middle Senior High School
Berks Catholic High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Conrad Weiser High School
Daniel Boone Area High School
Emmaus High School
Exeter Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Freedom High School
Nazareth Area High School
Northampton High School
Notre Dame High School
Parkland High School
Pen Argyl High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Wilson High School
District 2: (Luzerne and Schuylkill counties)
Blue Mountain High School
Dallas High School
Hazelton Area High School
MMI Preparatory School
Tunkhannock Area High School
Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School
REGION 6 — Southcentral
District 1: (Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon and Perry counties)
Bishop McDevitt High School
Central Dauphin High School
Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
Milton Hershey School
SciTech High School
District 2: (Adams and York counties)
Dover Area High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Red Land High School
Spring Grove High School (four teams)
West York Area High School
York Catholic High School
District 3: (Lancaster County)
Conestoga Valley High School
J.P. McCaskey High School
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)
Bishop Shanahan High School (two teams)
Conestoga High School (two teams)
Devon Preparatory School (two teams)
Downingtown High School East
Downingtown High School West
Downingtown STEM Academy
Great Valley High School
Henderson High School
Kennett High School
Malvern Preparatory School (two teams)
Owen J. Roberts High School
Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (two 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
Delaware County Christian School (two teams)
Episcopal Academy (two teams)
Marple Newtown High School
Merion Mercy Academy (three teams)
Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School
Penn Wood High School
Ridley High School (three teams)
Strath Haven High School (two teams)
Sun Valley High School
Upper Darby High School (two teams)
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
Pennridge High School
Plumstead Christian School
Tamanend Middle School
Villa Joseph Marie High School
REGION 8 — Philadelphia
Abraham Lincoln High School
Academy at Palumbo (two teams)
Archbishop Ryan High School
Central High School (two teams)
Esperanza Academy Charter High School
Franklin Learning Center
Germantown Friends School (three teams)
Girard Academy Music Program
High School for Creative and Performing Arts
Imhotep Institute Charter High School
J.R. Masterman High School
Little Flower High School
Northeast High School
Philadelphia Academy Charter High School
Roman Catholic High School (four teams)
Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School (two teams)
SLA Beeber High School
Tacony Academy High School
The Mathematics Civics and Sciences
Charter School
William Penn Charter School (two teams)
REGION 9 — Montgomery County
Abington Senior High School (two teams)
Barrack Hebrew Academy (two teams)
Friends Central School (two teams)
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
Harriton High School
Hatboro-Horsham High School
Jenkintown High School (two teams)
LaSalle College High School (two teams)
Lower Merion High School (two teams)
Lower Moreland High School (three teams)
Methacton High School
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 (two teams)
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 Senior High School North
East Stroudsburg Senior High School South
Jim Thorpe Area High School
Notre Dame High School
Palmerton High School
Pocono Mountain East High School
Pocono Mountain West High School
Stroudsburg High School