HARRISBURG (Jan. 5, 2010) - Beginning Jan. 25, 339 teams from 284 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 27th year, is one of the largest in the nation. The number of participating teams this year is the highest in the history of the Pennsylvania competition, said Timothy S. Burns of Johnstown, chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division.

"In high schools across the state, the mock trial competition is one of the much-anticipated academic events of the school year, and students understand that substantial skills are needed to advance to the higher levels of competition," said Burns. "We thank the hundreds of teachers and lawyers who voluntarily stepped forward to provide participating students with working knowledge about our justice system, successful dispute resolution techniques as well as valuable presentation and critical-thinking skills."

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 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 26 and 27, 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 Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania Cable Network will record the final round of the competition for later airing statewide. Scheduling information will be posted on the network's Web site at http://www.pcntv.com. The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, will provide funding support for the broadcast.

Co-chairs of the Mock Trial Executive Committee are Ryan Blazure of Kingston and Traci L. Naugle of Altoona. This year's hypothetical trial case, which focuses on the murder of a financial analyst employed by a Philadelphia investment firm, was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia. Jane E. Meyer of Harrisburg, a prior chairperson of the PBA/YLD Mock Trial Committee and current member of the National High School Mock Trial Championship Board of Directors, edited the final version of the case in collaboration with Grode and Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia.

For more information about the 2010 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 Web site at http://www.pabar.org. Interested volunteers should contact Maria Engles of the Pennsylvania Bar Association at 800-932-0311, Ext. 2223.

Drexel University is the proud partner of the PBA's statewide mock trial program and is the leadership sponsor of the 2010 National High School Mock Trial Championship, which will be held in Philadelphia, May 6-9, 2010.

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.

Teams participating in the 2010 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools (list updated on Jan. 20, 2010):

REGION 1 - Allegheny
Baldwin High School
Career Connections Charter High School
Chartiers Valley High School
City Charter High School
Eden Christian Academy
Elizabeth Forward High School
Gateway High School
Hillel Academy (two teams)
McKeesport High School
Montour High School
Mt. Lebanon High School
North Allegheny Senior High School
Pine-Richland High School
Pittsburgh Millions 6-12 University Preparatory School
Quaker Valley High School
Saint Joseph High School (two teams)
Schenley High School
Seton-LaSalle High School
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette Township High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
Taylor Allderdice High School (three teams)
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
West Mifflin High School
Winchester Thurston School
Woodland Hills High School

REGION 2 - NORTHWEST PA
District 1: Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence
Ambridge Area High School
Beaver Area High School (three teams)
Blackhawk High School
Butler Area High School (two teams)
Freeport High School
Hopewell High School
Moniteau Jr/Sr. High School
New Brighton Area Senior High School
New Castle Area 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
Fort LeBoeuf High School (two teams)
Learning Enrichment Center/Eisenhower High School
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (two teams)
Northwestern High School (two teams)
Sheffield Area Middle Senior High School (two teams)
Warren Area High School

REGION 3 - SOUTHWEST PA
District 1: Westmoreland
Belle Vernon Area High School
Franklin Regional Senior High School
Greater Latrobe Sr. High School
Greensburg Salem High School
Hempfield Area High School
Kiski Area High School
Mt. Pleasant Area High School
Penn Trafford High School
Southmoreland High School
Valley High School

District 2: Greene, Fayette, Washington
Avella High School
Canon-McMillan High School
Carmichaels Area Jr/Sr High School
Charleroi Area High School
Chartiers-Houston High School
Connellsville Area Senior High School
Fort Cherry High School
Frazier High School
Jefferson Morgan High School
Laurel Highlands High School
Peters Township High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School (three teams)
Washington High School
West Greene High School

District 3: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Indiana, Mifflin, Somerset
Altoona Area High School (two teams)
Bellwood-Antis High School
Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School
Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School
Brookville Area High School
Central Cambria High School
Central High School
DuBois Central Catholic High School
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School
Indiana Area Senior High School
Punxsutawney Area High School
Richland Senior High School
Tyrone Area High School
United High School

REGION 4 - NORTHCENTRAL PA
District 1: Centre, Clearfield, Clinton
Bald Eagle Area High School
Bellefonte Area High School
Grace Preparatory High School
State College Area High School (two teams)

District 2: Union, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga
Jersey Shore High School
Montoursville High School
Wellsboro Area High School
Williamson Jr./Sr. High School

District 3: Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter
Cameron County High School
Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
Kane Area High School
Oswayo Valley High School
Ridgway Area High School
Seneca Highlands IU9
Smethport Area High School

REGION 5 - NORTHEAST PA
District 1: Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Blue Mountain High School
Boyertown High School (two teams)
Conrad Weiser High School
Easton Area High School
Emmaus High School
Exeter Twp. Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Liberty High School
Marian Catholic High School
Nativity BVM High School
Northampton High School
Notre Dame High School
Palmerton Area High School
Parkland High School (two teams)
Pen Argyl Area High School
Pine Grove Area School District
Saucon Valley High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Southern Lehigh High School

District 2: Luzerne
Dallas Senior High School
Hanover Area Jr./Sr. High School
Hazleton Area High School
Holy Redeemer High School
MMI Preparatory School
Tunkhannock Area High School
Wyoming Seminary

District 3: Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming
Abington Heights High School
Carbondale Area High School
Dunmore High School
Holy Cross High School
Honesdale High School
Lakeland High School
Mid Valley High School
North Pocono High School
Saint Rose Academy
Scranton High School
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 (two teams)
Wallenpaupack Area High School

REGION 6 - SOUTHCENTRAL PA
District 1: Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry
Bishop McDevitt High School
Central Dauphin High School
Cumberland Valley Christian School
Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
Milton Hershey School
SciTech High School
Susquehanna Township High School
Trinity High School
West Perry High School

District 2: Adams, York
Eastern York High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
New Hope Academy Charter School
Northeastern High School
Northern York County Senior High School
Red Lion Senior High School
Spring Grove High School (two teams)
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
J.P. McCaskey High School (two teams)
Lancaster Catholic High School
Penn Manor High School
Warwick High School

REGION 7 - SOUTHEAST PA
District 1: Chester
B. Reed Henderson High School (three teams)
Bayard Rustin High School (two teams)
Bishop Shanahan High School (two teams)
CCHS High School Team
Devon Preparatory School
Downingtown Area High School - West
Great Valley High School
Kennett High School (two teams)
Malvern Preparatory School
Phoenixville Area High School (two teams)
Villa Maria Academy High School
West Chester East High School

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

District 3: Bucks
Archbishop Wood High School (two teams)
Bensalem High School
Bristol High School
Central Bucks East High School
Central Bucks South High School (two teams)
Holy Ghost Preparatory School (three teams)
Neshaminy High School
New Hope-Solebury High School
Pennridge High School
Plumstead Christian School
Quakertown Community Freshman Center
Solebury School
William Tennent High School (two teams)

REGION 8 - Philadelphia
A. Philip Randolph Career & Technical Academy
Audenried High School
Benjamin Franklin High School Navy JROTC
Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School
CAPA
Carver High School of Engineering & Science High School (two teams)
Central High School
Chestnut Hill Academy
Constitution High School (two teams)
Delaware Valley Charter High School
Father Judge High School
Frankford High School
Franklin Learning Center
Franklin Towne Charter High School
Friends Select School
Germantown High School
High School of the Future
Imhotep Institute Charter High School
J.R. Masterman High School
John Bartram High School
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Nazareth Academy High School (two teams)
New Media Technology Charter School
Northeast High School
Olney West High School
Overbrook High School
Paul Robeson High School
Philadelphia Academy Charter School
Philadelphia Mennonite High School
Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds
Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
Saint Joseph's Preparatory School (two teams)
Samuel S. Fels High School
Springside School
Ss. John Neumann & Maria Goretti High School
Strawberry Mansion High School
The Mathematic, Civics & Sciences Charter School
University City High School
West Philadelphia Catholic High School
William Penn Charter School (two teams)
William Penn High School
William W. Bodine High School for International Affairs
World Communications Charter School

REGION 9 - Montgomery
Abington Senior High School
Friends Central School (two teams)
Germantown Academy (two teams)
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School
Harriton High School
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
La Salle College High School
Lower Merion High School
Lower Moreland High School (two teams)
Methacton High School (two teams)
Mount Saint Joseph Academy (two teams)
Norristown Area High School
North Penn High School
Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy (two teams)
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (two teams)
Pottsgrove High School
The Baldwin School
The Haverford School (two teams)
Upper Dublin High School (two teams)
Wissahickon High School