HARRISBURG (Jan. 22, 2007) � The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (PBA/YLD) has announced the start of its Statewide Mock Trial Competition. Two hundred and fifty-nine high schools from across Pennsylvania will be competing in the district and regional levels of the competition, which begin Jan. 29. Pennsylvania�s mock trial program is one of the largest in the nation.

�The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division sponsors the mock trial competition to give Pennsylvania high school students an opportunity to interactively participate in the judicial process,� said Justin B. Goldstein, PBA/YLD chair. �Now celebrating its twenty-third anniversary, this program has become an important competitive academic event for high schools across the state. It provides students with an opportunity to act as advocates and develop important communication skills, learn courtroom procedure and work together as a team.�

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 30 and March 31, in Harrisburg. The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held in late spring in Dallas, Texas. Expenses for the winning team�s trip will be funded by the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation.

This year�s mock trial case centers on a series of threatening remarks that appeared on a high school-run Internet chat room, which a student claims caused severe emotional distress resulting in lower grades and loss of a valedictorian scholarship. The case was initially drafted by the Illinois State Bar Association and was substantially rewritten for the Pennsylvania competition by Jonathan A. Grode, a student at Temple University James Beasley School of Law. Jane Meyer, board member of the National Mock Trial High School Championship, helped edit the final version of the case.

Through 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 attorney advisors in preparing for competition. Volunteer attorneys and community leaders serve as jurors in the trials. The juries determine the winners in each trial based on the teams� abilities to prepare their cases, present arguments and follow court rules.

Last year�s state winners from Greensburg-Salem High School, under the direction of teacher and advisor Judith Washburn, teacher and advisor, and Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Richard McCormick, placed fourth in the national competition. Student Danielle Waugh also earned individual honors and received a 2006 Outstanding Advocate Award.

This year�s program is co-chaired by Jennifer J. Clark and William J. Higgins Jr.

Interested volunteers should contact the PBA�s Maria Engles at 800-932-0311, Ext. 2223.

For more information on the 2006 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships and to read this year�s case, go to the Young Lawyers Division section of the PBA Web site at http://www.pabar.org.

2007 Statewide Mock Trial Competition Participating Schools
*last updated 1/18/07

REGION 1 � ALLEGHENY

Baldwin High School
Bishop Canevin High School
Chartiers Valley High School
City Charter High School
Eden Christian Academy
Elizabeth Forward High School
Fox Chapel Area High School
Gateway High School
Hillel Academy
John A. Brashear High School
Montour High School
Mt. Lebanon High School
North Allegheny Senior High School
North Hills High School
Oliver High School
Pine-Richland High School
Quaker Valley High School
Saint Joseph High School
Schenley High School
Shaler Area High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
Taylor Allderdice High School � Team 1
Taylor Allderdice High School � Team 2
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
West Mifflin High School
Westinghouse High School
Woodland Hills High School

REGION 2 � NORTHWEST PA

District 1: (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence)

Ambridge Area High School
Beaver Area High School � Team 1
Beaver Area High School � Team 2
Blackhawk High School
Butler Area High School
Center High School
Freeport High School
Hopewell High School
Laurel High School
Monaca Jr./Sr. High School
Moniteau High School � Team 1
Moniteau High School � Team 2
New Brighton Area Senior High School
Quigley Catholic High School
Riverside High School
Seneca Valley Intermediate High School
Seneca Valley Senior High School
Slippery Rock Area High School

District 2: (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, Warren)

Clarion High School
Fort LeBoeuf High School
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy
Northwestern High School

REGION 3 � SOUTHWEST PA
District 1: (Westmoreland)

Belle Vernon Area High School
Burrell High School
Derry Area High School
Franklin Regional High School
Greensburg Central Catholic High School
Greensburg Salem High School
Hempfield Area High School
Kiski Area High School
Mt. Pleasant Area High School
Southmoreland High School
Valley High School

District 2: (Greene, Fayette, Washington)

Avella High School
Canon-McMillan High School
Charleroi Area High School
Connellsville Area Senior High School
Fort Cherry High School
Frazier High School
Laurel Highlands High School � Team 1
Laurel Highlands High School � Team 2
Peters Township High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School � Team 1
Trinity High School � Team 2
Washington High School

District 3: (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Indiana, Mifflin, Somerset)

Altoona Area High School
Bellwood-Antis High School
Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School
Brookville Area High School � Team 1
Brookville Area High School � Team 2
Central Cambria High School
Central High School
DuBois Central Catholic School
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School �Team 1
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School �Team 2
Homer-Center High School
Indiana Area Senior High School
Punxsutawney Area High School
Richland Senior High School

REGION 4 � NORTHCENTRAL PA

District 1: (Centre, Clearfield, Clinton)

Bald Eagle Area High School
Bellefonte Area High School
State College Area High School � Team 1
State College Area High School � Team 2

District 2: (Union, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga)

Montoursville High School
Muncy High School
Selinsgrove Area High School
Williamsport Area High School

District 3: (Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter)

Austin Area High School
Cameron County High School
Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
Kane Area High School
Otto Eldred High School
Port Allegany High School
Ridgway Area High School
Smethport Area High School

REGION 5 � NORTHEAST PA

District 1: (Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill)

Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Blue Mountain High School
Boyertown High School
Conrad Weiser High School � Team 1
Conrad Weiser High School � Team 2
Easton Area High School
Exeter Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Liberty High School
Marian Catholic High School
Muhlenberg High School
Northampton High School
Palmerton Area High School � Team 1
Palmerton Area High School � Team 2
Pen Argyl Area High School
Pottsville Area High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Whitehall High School
Wyomissing Area High School

District 2: (Luzerne)

Bishop O�Reilly High School
Hanover Area Jr./Sr. High School
Hazleton Area High School
MMI Preparatory School
Tunkhannock Area High School
Wyoming Seminary
Wyoming Valley West

District 3: (Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming)

Abington Heights High School
Carbondale Area High School
Dunmore High School
Honesdale High School
Lakeland High School
Mid Valley High School
North Pocono High School
Saint Rose Academy
Scranton Preparatory School
Valley View High School
West Scranton High School
Western Wayne High School

District 4: (Monroe, Pike)

Delaware Valley High School
East Stroudsburg High School - North
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 � Team 1
Stroudsburg High School � Team 2
Wallenpaupack Area High School

REGION 6 � SOUTHCENTRAL PA

District 1: (Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry)

Big Spring High School � Team 1
Big Spring High School � Team 2
Bishop McDevitt High School
Carlisle High School
Central Dauphin High School
Cumberland Valley Christian School
Cumberland Valley High School � Team 1
Cumberland Valley High School � Team 2
Harrisburg Academy
Milton Hershey School
Trinity High School � Team 1
Trinity High School � Team 2
West Perry High School � Team 1
West Perry High School � Team 2

District 2: (York, Adams)

Eastern York High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
Spring Grove High School � Team 1
Spring Grove High School � Team 2
West York Area High School
William Penn Senior High School
York Catholic High School
York Country Day School

District 3: (Lancaster)

Cocalico High School
Conestoga Valley High School
Ephrata High School
J.P. McCaskey High School
Lancaster Catholic High School
Lancaster Country Day School
Penn Manor High School
Warwick High School

REGION 7 � SOUTHEAST PA

District 1: (Chester)

B. Reed Henderson High School � Team 1
B. Reed Henderson High School � Team 2
Bayard Rustin High School
Bishop Shanahan High School � Team 1
Bishop Shanahan High School � Team 2
Chester County Homeschoolers
Devon Preparatory School
Great Valley High School � Team 1
Great Valley High School � Team 2
Malvern Preparatory School
Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS)
Phoenixville Area High School � Team 1
Phoenixville Area High School � Team 2
Unionville High School
Villa Maria Academy
West Chester East High School

District 2: (Delaware)

Academy of Notre Dame de Namur � Team 1
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur � Team 2
Archbishop John Carroll High School � Team 1
Archbishop John Carroll High School � Team 2
Archbishop Prendergast High School
Cardinal O�Hara High School
Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Merion Mercy Academy
Radnor High School
Ridley High School � Team 1
Ridley High School � Team 2
Strath Haven High School

District 3: (Bucks)

Archbishop Wood High School � Team 1
Archbishop Wood High School � Team 2
Bensalem High School
Bristol High School
Central Bucks West High School
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
Neshaminy High School
New Hope-Solebury High School
Pennridge High School
Quakertown Community High School
Solebury School
Villa Joseph Marie High School
William Tennent High School

REGION 8 � PHILADELPHIA

A. Philip Randolph Career & Technical Academy
Archbishop Ryan High School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Blair Christian Academy
Bodine High School for International Affairs
CAPA
Cardinal Dougherty High School
Carver High School of Engineering & Science High School
Central High School
Chestnut Hill Academy
Constitution High School � Team 1
Constitution High School � Team 2
Father Judge High School
Frankford High School (YouthWorks)
Franklin Learning Center
Freire Charter School
Friends Select School
Furness High School
Girard College
J.R. Masterman High School
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Monsignor Bonner High School
New Media Technology Charter School
Northeast High School
Overbrook High School
Parkway West High School
Paul Robeson High School
Philadelphia High School for Business & Technology
Philadelphia Mennonite High School
Roman Catholic High School � Team 1
Roman Catholic High School � Team 2
Saint Hubert Catholic High School
Saint Joseph�s Preparatory School � Team 1
Saint Joseph�s Preparatory School - Team 2
Samuel S. Fels High School
Simon Gratz High School
Springside School
Ss. John Neumann & Maria Goretti High School
Stern Hebrew High School
Strawberry Mansion High School
The Mathematic, Civics & Sciences Charter School
Thomas A. Edison High School
West Philadelphia Catholic High School

REGION 9 - MONTGOMERY

Akiba Hebrew Academy
Episcopal Academy
Gwynedd Mercy Academy - Team 1
Gwynedd Mercy Academy � Team 2
Harriton High School � Team 1
Harriton High School � Team 2
La Salle College High School � Team 1
La Salle College High School � Team 2
Lower Merion High School
Lower Moreland High School � Team 1
Lower Moreland High School � Team 2
Methacton High School � Team 1
Methacton High School � Team 2
Mt. Saint Joseph Academy � Team 1
Mt. Saint Joseph Academy � Team 2
North Penn High School � Team 1
North Penn High School � Team 2
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School � Team 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School � Team 2
The Baldwin School
The Haverford School � Team 1
The Haverford School � Team 2
Upper Dublin High School
Upper Moreland High School
Wissahickon High School