HARRISBURG (Jan. 17, 2012) - Beginning Jan. 23, 327 teams from 283 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 29th year, is one of the largest in the nation.

"Without question, the mock trial competition is one of the most exciting academic challenges of the school year for thousands of Pennsylvania students," said Hope Guy of Pittsburgh, chair of the association's Young Lawyers Division. "Participating students learn about our justice system and then put that knowledge into practice in front of real-life judges, lawyers and business professionals. During their mock trial experience, students gain valuable presentation and critical-thinking skills that can be put to good use at college and in many types of future careers."

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

"This competition requires thousands of hours of dedicated leadership and guidance from the dozens of teachers and lawyers who voluntarily step forward to prepare teams for competition and to judge competitions at the regional and state levels. This program simply would not be possible without their generous support," Guy 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 30 and 31, in Harrisburg. The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 3-6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, will provide funding support for the statewide competition.

Co-chairs of the Mock Trial Executive Committee are Traci L. Naugle of Altoona and Jennifer J. Walsh of Scranton.

This year's hypothetical case is a civil action in which a plaintiff seeks to prevent the expansion of a pharmaceutical plant in a location where an endangered species is alleged to have been found. The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode of Philadelphia and Paul W. Kaufman of Philadelphia. Jane E. Meyer of Harrisburg edited the final version of the case in collaboration with Grode and Kaufman.

For more information about the 2012 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 28,000 lawyers who are members of the association.

Teams participating in the 2012 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:

REGION 1 - ALLEGHENY
Baldwin High School
Bishop Canevin 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 of Pittsburgh
Montour High School
Mount Lebanon High School
North Allegheny Senior High School
Northgate Middle School
Penn Hills Senior High School
Pine-Richland High School
Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Riverview Jr./Sr. High School
Saint Joseph High School (three teams)
Seton-La Salle High School
Sewickley Academy
Shady Side Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
Taylor Allderdice High School
The Neighborhood Academy
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
West Allegheny High School
Winchester Thurston School
Woodland Hills High School

REGION 2 - NORTHWEST PA District 1: (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence)
Ambridge Area High School
Beaver Area High School (three teams)
Blackhawk High School
Butler Area High School (two teams)
Central Valley High School
Freeport Area High School
Hopewell Area High School
Lincoln High School
Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School
New Brighton Area Senior High School
New Castle 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 and Warren)
Cambridge Springs High School
Conneaut School District (three teams)
Fort LeBoeuf High School (three teams)
McDowell High School
Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (two teams)
Northwestern High School (two teams)
Oil City Senior High School
Sheffield Area Middle/High School
Warren Area High School
West Forest High School

REGION 3 - SOUTHWEST PA
District 1: (Westmoreland)
Franklin Regional 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: (Fayette, Greene and Washington)
Avella Area High School
Canon-McMillan High School
Carmichaels Area Jr./Sr. High School
Charleroi High School
Connellsville Area Senior High School
Fort Cherry Jr./Sr. High School
Frazier High School
Laurel Highlands High School
Peter Twp. High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School (two teams)
Uniontown Area High School (two teams)
Washington High School
West Greene High School

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

REGION 4 - NORTHCENTRAL PA District 1: (Centre, Clearfield and Clinton)
Bald Eagle Area High School
Bellefonte Area High School
Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy
State College Area High School

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

District 3: (Cameron, Elk, McKean and Potter)
Cameron County School District
Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
Kane Area School District
Oswayo Valley High School
Port Allegany High School
Ridgway High School
Smethport Area High School

REGION 5 - NORTHEAST PA District 1: (Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill)
Allentown Central Catholic High School
Antietam Middle-Senior High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School
Boyertown Area Senior High School
Brandywine Heights Area High School
Easton Area 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
Nazareth High School
Northampton High School
Notre Dame High School
Palmerton Area High School
Parkland High School
Pen Argyl Area High School
Saucon Valley High School
Schuylkill Valley School
Southern Lehigh High School
Tulpehocken High School

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

District 3: (Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming)
Abington Heights High School
Carbondale Area High School
Dunmore High School
Holy Cross High School
Honesdale High School
Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School
Mid Valley High School
North Pocono High School
Old Forge School District
Scranton High School
Scranton Preparatory School
Valley View High School
West Scranton High School
West Wayne High School

District 4: (Monroe and 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
Wallenpaupack Area High School

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

District 2: (Adams and York)
Central York High School
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
Northeastern High School
Northern York County Sr. High School
Red Lion Area Sr. High School
Spring Grove High School (two teams)
West York Area High School
York Catholic High School
York Country Day School (two teams)

District 3: (Lancaster)
Cocalico High School
Conestoga Valley High School
J.P. McCaskey High School (two teams)
Lancaster Catholic High School (two teams)
Lancaster County Day School
Penn Manor High School
Solanco High School
Warwick High School

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

District 2: (Delaware)
Academy of Notre Dame De Namur (two teams)
Archbishop John Carroll High School
Archbishop Prendergast High School
Delaware County Christian School
Merion Mercy Academy (two teams)
Monsignor Bonner High School
Penn Wood High School (two teams)
Ridley High School (two teams)
Springfield High School
Strath Haven High School
The Episcopal Academy (two teams)

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

REGION 8 - PHILADELPHIA
Abraham Lincoln High School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School
CAPA
Central High School
Constitution High School (two teams)
Delaware Valley Charter High School
Father Judge High School
Frankford High School
Franklin Learning Center High School
Freire Charter School
Friends Select School
G.W. Corver High School of Engineering and Science
Germantown Friends School
Germantown High School
Girard College High School
John Bartram High School
Julia R. Masterman High School
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Mastery Charter School Lenfest Campus
Nazareth Academy High School (two teams)
New Media Technology Charter
Northeast High School
Overbrook High School
Parkway Center City High School
Philadelphia Mennonite High School
Project H.O.M.E. Honickman Learning Center
Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
Saint Joseph Preparatory School (two teams)
Samuel S. Fels High School
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
Strawberry Mansion High School
The Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charter School
Thomas Edison High School
William Penn Charter School (two teams)

REGION 9 - MONTGOMERY
Abington Sr. High School
Friends Central School (two teams)
Germantown Academy
Gwynedd Mercy Academy
Harriton High School
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
Jenkintown High School
La Salle 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 (two teams)
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 (two teams)