HARRISBURG (Jan. 14, 2015) � Beginning this month, 319 teams from 269 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 32nd year, is one of the largest in the nation.

"For thousands of students, the statewide mock trial competition is an opportunity to strengthen skills that will be helpful to them in the years ahead,"said Lars Anderson of Kingston, chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division. "Participating students gain a working knowledge of our justice system plus they master the methods needed to resolve disputes, to make effective presentations and to think critically. All of these skills can be put to good use at college and in many types of careers.�

Anderson extended his gratitude to the hundreds of teachers and lawyers participating in the program.

"This event would not be possible without the teacher coaches, lawyer advisors and many other volunteers who freely offer their support and expertise,"Anderson said. "I encourage all of the student participants to thank the volunteers who make this mock trial experience possible."

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, 12 high school mock trial teams will advance to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships, March 27 and 28, in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Cable Network will record the final round of the competition for later airing statewide.

The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 14 � 16 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, will provide funding support for the statewide competition.

The co-chairs of the Mock Trial Executive Committee are Jonathan D. Koltash of Harrisburg and Traci L. Naugle of Altoona.

This year's hypothetical case centers on murder charges filed against the president of a college honor society accused of killing a fellow student who had uncovered the honor society's cheating scheme.

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 2015 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships and to read this year's case, go to the Young Lawyers Division's section of the PBA website at http://www.pabar.org. 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 to legal services; and serve the 27,000 lawyers who are members of the association.

Teams participating in the 2015 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:

REGION 1 � ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Baldwin Whitehall High School
Bethel Park High School (two teams)
Chartiers Valley High School
Eden Christian Academy
Elizabeth Forward High School
Gateway High School
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
McKeesport Area High School
Montour High School
North Allegheny Senior High School
Pine-Richland High School (two teams)
Pittsburgh CAPA
Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy
Quaker Valley High School
Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Saint Joseph High School (two teams)
Seton-La Salle High School
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
Taylor Allderdice High School
The Neighborhood Academy
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
Vincentian Academy
West Allegheny Senior High School
West Mifflin High School
Winchester Thurston 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 (three teams)
Blackhawk High School
Butler Area High School (two teams)
Central Valley High School
Freeport Area High School
Hopewell Senior High School
Moniteau High School
Neshannock Township High School
New Castle High School
New Brighton Area Senior High School
Quigley Catholic High School
Riverside High School
Seneca Valley Intermediate High School
Seneca Valley Senior High School
Wilmington Area High School

District 2: (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties)
Cambridge Springs High School
Conneaut Area Senior High School (two teams)
Fort LeBoeuf High School
McDowell High School (two teams)
Meadville Area Senior High School (two teams)
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (two teams)
Northwestern High School (two teams)
Saegertown High School
Warren Area High School
Youngsville High School (two teams)

REGION 3 � SOUTHWEST
District 1: (Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties)
Derry Area High School (two teams)
Franklin Regional Senior High School
Greensburg Salem High School
Homer-Center High School
Kiski Area High School
Penn-Trafford High School
Somerset Area Sr. High School
Southmoreland High School
Valley Jr./Sr. High School

District 2: (Greene, Fayette and Washington counties)
Canon-McMillan High School
Connellsville Area Senior High School
Fort Cherry & Burgettstown High School
Frazier High School
Laurel Highlands High School (two teams)
Peters Township High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School (two teams)
West Greene High School

District 3: (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Mifflin counties)
Altoona Area High School (three teams)
Bedford High School
Bellwood-Antis High School
Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School
Bishop McCort Catholic High School (two teams)
Central Cambria High School
Central High School
Charleroi Area High School
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area Jr./Sr. High School
Huntingdon Area High School
Mount Union Area Senior High School
Richland High School
Tyrone Area High School
Westmont Hilltop High School
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 Area Junior/Senior High School
DuBois Area High School (two teams)
DuBois Central Catholic High School
Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy
State College Area High School

District 2: (Union, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Tioga counties)
Lewisburg Area High School
Montoursville Area High School
North Penn-Mansfield Jr./Sr. High School
Wellsboro Area High School

District 3: (Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter counties)
Cameron County High School (two teams)
Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
Kane Area High School (two teams)
Oswayo Valley High School
Otto-Eldred High School
Port Allegany High School
Ridgway High School
Smethport Area High School

REGION 5 � EAST CENTRAL District 1: (Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill counties)
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Blue Mountain High School
Boyertown Area Senior High School (two teams)
Brandywine Heights High School
Conrad Weiser High School
Easton Area High School
Exeter Twp. Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Liberty High School
Marian Catholic High School
Nazareth Area High School
Northampton High School
Notre Dame High School
Palmerton Area High School
Parkland High School
Pen Argyl High School
Saucon Valley High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Tulpehocken Area High School
Wilson High School

District 2: (Luzerne County)
Hanover Area Jr./Sr. High School
Hazleton Area High School
Holy Redeemer High School
MMI Preparatory School
Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School

REGION 6 � SOUTHCENTRAL
District 1: (Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon and Perry counties)
Bishop McDevitt High School
Central Dauphin High School
Central Dauphin East High School
Cumberland Valley Christian School
Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
Milton Hershey School
SciTech High School
Susquehanna Township High School

District 2: (Adams and York counties)
Central York High School
Dover Area High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
Northern High School
Red Lion Area Senior High School (two teams)
Spring Grove High School (three teams)
West York Area High School
York Catholic High School

District 3: (Lancaster County)
Cocalico High School
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)
B. Reed Henderson High School
Bayard Rustin High School (two teams)
Bishop Shanahan High School (two teams)
Coatesville Area Senior High School
Devon Preparatory School
Downingtown High School West
Great Valley High School
Kennett High School (three teams)
Malvern Preparatory School
Owen J Roberts NJROTC
PALCS
Phoenixville Area High School
Villa Maria Academy
West Chester East High School

District 2: (Delaware County)
Academy of Notre Dame (two teams)
Archbishop John Carroll High School (two teams)
Cardinal O'Hara High School
Delaware County Christian School
Merion Mercy Academy (two teams)
Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School
Penn Wood High School (two teams)
Ridley High School (two teams)
Springfield High School
Strath Haven High School
The Episcopal Academy (three teams)
The Shipley School
Upper Darby High School

District 3: (Bucks County)
Archbishop Wood High School (two teams)
Bensalem High School
Bristol High School
Central Bucks High School East
Central Bucks High School South
Central Bucks High School West
Council Rock High School North
Holicong Middle School
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
Lenape Middle School (two teams)
New Hope-Solebury High School
Pennridge High School

REGION 8 � PHILADELPHIA
Abraham Lincoln High School
Boys Latin of Philadelphia
CAPA
Central High School
Constitution High School
Esperanza Academy Charter High School (two teams)
Frankford High School Junior ROTC
Franklin Learning Center High School
G.W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science
Germantown Friends School (three teams)
Girard Academic Music Program
Girard College Upper School (two teams)
Julia R. Masterman High School
KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy
Nazareth Academy High School
Northeast High School
Penn Charter High School (two teams)
Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
Saint Joseph's Preparatory School
Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School
Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber
The Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charter School

REGION 9 � MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Abington Senior High School
Friends Central School (two teams)
Germantown Academy
Gwynedd Mercy Academy
Harriton High School
Hatboro � Horsham High School
Jack M Barrack Hebrew Academy
Jenkintown High School (two teams)
La Salle College High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Moreland High School (two teams)
Methacton High School
Mount Saint Joseph Academy
Norristown Area High School
North Penn High School
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
Pottsgrove High School
The Baldwin School
The Haverford School (two teams)
Saint Basil Academy
Souderton High School
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
Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School
Mid Valley High School
North Pocono High School
Old Forge High School
Scranton High School
Scranton Preparatory School
Valley View High School
West Scranton High School
Western Wayne High School

District 2: (Monroe and Pike counties)
East Sroudsburg South High School
Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School
Pocono Mountain East High School
Stroudsburg High School
Wallenpaupack Area High School