HARRISBURG (April 27, 2007) - The Beaver County Bar Association will host the Pennsylvania Bar Association's statewide kick-off program for Pennsylvania's annual Law Day and Law Month celebrations at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 30. The county association is located at 788 Turnpike Street, Beaver.

As part of the festivities, PBA President Kenneth J. Horoho Jr. will recognize Divine Mercy Academy seventh-grade student Jennifer Medarac of Beaver Falls, the first-place winner in the PBA's statewide Law Day poster contest. Medarac will receive a $100 Savings Bond.

Joining Horoho in offering remarks to students at the April 30 ceremony will be Karen M. Balaban, president of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, which funds Law Day events. Law Day activities are coordinated by the PBA Law-Related Education Committee.

This year, the PBA and county bar associations around the state will bring together hundreds of judges, lawyers and schools in Pennsylvania to help children learn about the law. The theme of Pennsylvania's eighth annual statewide Law Day celebration is "Liberty Means Responsibility" and learning guides, which include lesson plans developed by Pennsylvania educators for all grade levels, have been distributed to schools requesting them. Lesson plans satisfy requirements of the state's Academic Standards for Civics and Government.

During the ceremony, the Beaver County Bar Association will present Randy K. Hareza Awards to students from New Brighton Area Senior High School and Quigley Catholic High School mock trial teams, the region's top ranking teams in this year's mock trial competition that is coordinated by the PBA Young Lawyers Division.

The eight-member student teams were given the opportunity to argue both sides of the case in an actual courtroom before a judge. The students, who played the roles of lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs and defendants, were assisted by teacher coaches and lawyer advisors in preparing for competition. Volunteer lawyers and community leaders served as jurors in the trials. The juries determined the winners in each trial based on the teams' abilities to prepare their cases, present arguments and follow court rules.

For more information about Law Day and the Mock Trial Competition, visit the PBA Web site at http://www.pabar.org.

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 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.