HARRISBURG (Jan. 7, 2011) - Beginning Jan. 24, 333 teams from 286 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.

"For students across Pennsylvania, mock trial competition is more than an academic exercise," said Lisa M.B. Woodburn of Harrisburg, chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division. "Participating students gain a working knowledge of our justice system plus successful dispute resolution techniques, valuable presentation skills and critical-thinking skills that can be put to good use at college and in many types of future careers."

Woodburn extended a thank-you to teachers and lawyers participating in the program.

"Hundreds of teachers and lawyers are voluntarily stepping forward to prepare teams for competition and to judge competitions at the regional and state levels. This event would not be possible without their support and expertise," Woodburn said.

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 25 and 26, 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 Phoenix, Arizona.

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 website 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 Wilkes-Barre and Jennifer J. Walsh of Scranton.

This year's hypothetical case is a civil action involving a pathologist who enters into a contract with a dying and impoverished elderly woman to obtain mutated cancer cells. The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia and Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia. Jane E. Meyer of Harrisburg, a 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 Kaufman.

For more information about the 2011 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, Ext. 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 29,000 lawyers who are members of the association.

Teams participating in the 2011 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:

(This list was updated on Jan. 24)

REGION 1 - Allegheny
Baldwin High School
Barack Obama Academy of International Studies
Chartiers Valley High School
City Charter High School
Eden Christian Academy
Elizabeth Forward High School
Gateway High School
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh (two teams)
Montour High School
Mount Lebanon High School
Northgate Middle High School
Pine-Richland High School
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Quaker Valley High School
Saint Joseph High School (three teams)
Seton LaSalle Catholic High School
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy (two teams)
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette High School
Springdale Junior/Senior High School
Taylor Allderdice High School (two teams)
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St Clair High School
West Allegheny High School
West Mifflin Area 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 School District (two teams)
Freeport Area High School
Hopewell Senior High School
Moniteau Junior/Senior High School
New Brighton Area Senior High School
New Castle Senior High School
Quigley Catholic High School
Riverside Beaver County 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
Cambridge Springs High School
Conneaut School District
Fort LeBoeuf High School (three teams)
McDowell High School
Northwest PA Collegiate Academy (two teams)
Northwestern High School
Oil City Senior High School
Sheffield Area Middle School High School (two teams)
Strong Vincent High School
Warren Area High School

REGION 3 - SOUTHWEST PA
District 1: Westmoreland
Derry Area High School
Franklin Regional Senior High School
Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Greensburg Salem High School
Kiski Area High School
Mount Pleasant Area High School
Penn Trafford High School
Southmoreland High School
Valley High School

District 2: Greene, Fayette, Washington
Avella Area High School
Canon-McMillan High School
Carmichaels Area Junior/Senior High School
Charleroi High School
Connellsville Senior High School
Fort Cherry Junior/Senior High School
Frazier High School
Laurel Highlands High School
Peters Twp. High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School (two teams)
Washington High School
West Greene Middle/High School

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

REGION 4 - NORTHCENTRAL PA
District 1: Centre, Clearfield, Clinton
Bald Eagle Area High School
Bellfonte Area High School
Grace Preparatory High School
State College High School

District 2: Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga and Union
Jersey Shore Area High School
Montoursville Area High School
Williamson Senior High School
Wellsboro Area High School

District 3: Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter
Cameron County High School
Coudersport Junior/Senior High School
Kane Area School District
Northern Potter Junior/Senior High School
Oswayo Valley High School (two teams)
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
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Blue Mountain High School
Boyertown Area Senior High School
Brandywine Heights High School
Conrad Weiser High School
Easton Area High School
Exeter Township 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
Pen Argyl Area High School
Pine Grove Area School District
Saucon Valley High School
Schuylkill Valley High School
Tulpehocken High School

District 2: Luzerne
Dallas High School
Hanover Area Junior/Senior High School
Hazleton Area High School
Holy Redeemer High School
MMI Preparatory School
Tunkhannock Area High School
Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School

District 3: Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming
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
Old Forge High School
Scranton High School
Scranton Preparatory School
Valley View High School
West Scranton High School
West Wayne High School

District 4: Monroe, Pike
Delaware Valley High School
East Stroudsburg High School - North
East Stroudsburg High School - South
Notre Dame Junior/Senior 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 High School (two teams)
Milton Hershey School
Sci-Tech High School
Susquehanna Township High School
Trinity High School
West Perry High School

District 2: Adams, York
Central York High School
Eastern York High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
Northern York County Senior High School
Northeastern High School
Red Lion Area 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
Lancaster Country Day School
Penn Manor High School
Solanco High School
Warwick High School

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

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

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

REGION 8 - Philadelphia
A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical High School
Abraham Lincoln High School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School
CAPA
Central High School
Charles Audenried 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
Freire Charter School
Friends Select School
High School of Engineering and Science
High School of the Future
Imhotep Institute Charter High School
Julia R. Masterman High School
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Mastery Charter School - Lenfest School
Nazareth Academy High School
New Media Technology Charter School
Northeast High School
Olney West High School
Overbrook High School
Paul Robeson High School
Philadelphia Mennonite High School
Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds
Project H.O.M.E. Honickman Learning Center
Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
Roxborough High School
Saint Joseph's Preparatory School
Samuel Fels High School
Ss. John Neumann & Maria Goretti High School
Strawberry Mansion High School
Swenson Arts & Technology High School (two teams)
The Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charter School
Thomas A. Edison High School
William Penn Charter School (two teams)

REGION 9 - Montgomery
Abington Senior High School
Friends Central School (two teams)
Germantown Academy (two teams)
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School (two teams)
Harriton High School
Jack M Barrack Hebrew Academy
LaSalle College High School (two teams)
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
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
Pottsgrove High School
Souderton Area High School
The Baldwin School
The Haverford School (two teams)
The Hill School
Upper Dublin High School (two teams)
Wissahickon High School