HARRISBURG (Jan. 15, 2016) - Beginning this month, 322 teams from 277 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 33rd year, is one of the largest in the nation.

"Participation in the statewide mock trial competition is about much more than preparing to argue a legal case," said Justin A. Bayer of Norristown, chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division. "Preparing for mock trial builds critical thinking, effective presentation and dispute resolution skills, all of which can be helpful in future careers. An added plus is the opportunity to learn more about our judicial system and the critical role our courts play in our society."

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

"Hundreds of teachers and legal and community volunteers are needed to make this program a reality and we thank them for their support and expertise," Bayer said. "I encourage participating students to thank the volunteers who make their 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, 14 high school mock trial teams will advance to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships, April 1 and 2, in Harrisburg.

The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 12 - 16 in Boise, Idaho.

The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, is providing 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 a civil action to determine whether an insurance company will be forced to cover the costs of a heinous injury to an individual that occurred on a nature preserve.

The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia, Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia, Koltash and Stanford University student 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 2016 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 2016 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:

REGION 1 - ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Baldwin High School
Barack Obama Academy of International Studies
Bethel Park High School
Chartiers Valley High School
Eden Christian Academy
Elizabeth Forward High School
Fox Chapel Area High School
Gateway High School
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
McKeesport Area High School
Montour High School
North Allegheny High School
Pine Richland High School
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Quaker Valley High School
Riverview Junior Senior High School
Saint Joseph High School (two teams)
Seton-La Salle Catholic High School
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette High School
South Park High School
Springdale Junior Senior High School
Taylor Allerdice 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 School
Woodland Hills Junior Senior 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 Senior High School (two teams)
Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School
Central Valley High School
Freeport Area High School
Hopewell High School
Moniteau High School
Neshannock High School
New Brighton Area Senior High School (two teams)
New Castle Area 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)
Cambridge Springs High School
Conneaut Area Senior High School (two teams)
Cranberry Area Jr./Sr. High School
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)
Sheffield Area Middle/High School (two teams)
Warren Area 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 School District
Penn-Trafford High School
Southmoreland High School
Valley High School

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

District 3: (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Mifflin counties)
Altoona Area High School (three teams)
Bedford High School
Bellwood-Antis High School
Bishop McCort Catholic High School
Central Cambria High School
Central High School (two teams)
Everett Area High School
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School
Huntingdon Are High School
Mount Union Area High School
Richland Senior High School
Tyrone Area 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 High School
Central Mountain 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)
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
Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
Galeton Area High School
Kane Area High School
Northern Potter High School
Oswayo Valley High School
Otto-Eldred High School
Port Allegany High School
Ridgway High School (two teams)
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
Boyertown Heights High School
Brandywine Heights High School
Emmaus High School
Exeter Township Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Marian Catholic High School
Nazareth Area High School
Northampton High School
Notre Dame of Green Pond
Palmerton High School
Parkland High School
Pen Argyl Area High School
Saucon Valley High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Tulpehocken Area High School
Wilson High School

District 2: (Luzerne County)
Dallas High School
Hanover Area Junior Senior High School
Hazleton Area High School
Holy Redeemer High School
MMI Preparatory School
Pittston Area Senior High School
Tunkhannock Area High 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 East High School
Central Dauphin High School
Cumberland Valley Christian School
Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
Milton Hershey School
SciTech 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
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
Bishop Shanahan High School (two teams)
Conestoga High School
Devon Preparatory School
Downingtown West High School
Great Valley High School
Kennett High School (three teams)
Malvern Preparatory School
Owen J. Roberts High School
Pennsylvania Charter School/University Scholars Program
Phoenixville Area High School
Villa Maria Academy High School
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 (two teams)
Merion Mercy Academy (two teams)
Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School
Penn Wood High School (two teams)
Penncrest High School
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
Bensalem 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
Holicong Middle School
Holy Ghost Preparatory School (two teams)
Lenape Middle School
New Hope-Solebury High School
Pennridge High School

REGION 8 - PHILADELPHIA
Abraham Lincoln High School
Archbishop Ryan High School
Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School
CAPA
Central High School
Constitution High School
Esperanza Academy Charter High School
Frankford High School
Franklin Learning Center High School
G.W. Carver High School of Engineering & Science
Germantown Friends School (three teams)
Girard Academic Music Program
Girard College High School (two teams)
Imhotep Institute Charter High School
KIPP DuBois Collegiate Academy
Martin Luther King High School
Northeast High School
Overbrook High School
Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
Saint Joseph's Preparatory School (two teams)
Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber
Science Leadership Academy @ Center City
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
Tacony Academy Charter School
The Mathematics Civics & Sciences Charter School
William Penn Charter School (two teams)

REGION 9 - MONTGOMERY COUNTY
AIM Academy
Abington Friends School
Abington Senior High School
Friends' Central School (two teams)
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
Harriton High School
Hatboro-Horsham High School
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
Jenkintown High School (two teams)
LaSalle College High School (two teams)
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 (two teams)
Saint Basil Academy (two teams)
Souderton Area High School
The Baldwin School
The Haverford School (two teams)
The Hill 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 Junior/Senior High School
Dunmore High School
Holy Cross High School
Honesdale High School
Lakeland 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: (Monroe and Pike counties)
Delaware Valley High School
East Stroudsburg High School - South
Notre Dame High School
Pleasant Valley High School
Pocono Mountain East High School
Pocono Mountain West High School
Stroudsburg High School
Wallenpaupack Area High School