� District and regional competitions to begin this weekend �

HARRISBURG (Jan. 26, 2005) � The Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division has announced the start of the Statewide Mock Trial Competition. Two hundred and forty-nine high schools from across Pennsylvania will begin competing this weekend in the district and regional levels of the competition. 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 first-hand experience with the American justice system,� said Jim Wells, Esq., PBA/YLD chair. �Now celebrating its 21st anniversary, this program has become an important academic competitive event for high schools across the commonwealth. It provides students with an opportunity to 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 April 1-2 in Harrisburg, Pa. The winner of the state championship, whose trip will be funded by the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals in May in Charlotte, N.C.

This year�s case, which is used throughout the state in all mock trial competitions, centers on a fictional civil action brought by the parents of a young man who died from injuries caused by a crowd-crushing incident at a rap concert. The materials were created by a third-year Temple University Beasley School of Law student, who is a member of the school�s nationally ranked mock trial team. The materials were edited and revised for competition by the PBA Statewide Mock Trial Committee.

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.

For more information on the 2005 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships or to read this year�s case, visit www.pabar.org/yldstatewidemock.asp.

Editor�s Note: A list of all participating schools is below. Contact PBA/YLD Coordinator Jayanne Hayward at 1-800-932-0311, Ext. 2223, or by e-mail at [email protected] for the dates and times of competitions in your area.

2005 Statewide Mock Trial Competition
Participating Schools
*last updated 01/25/05*

REGION 1 - ALLEGHENY
Allderdice High School
Baldwin High School
Bishop Canevin High School
Chartiers Valley High School
City Charter School
Elizabeth Forward High School
Fox Chapel Area High School
Gateway High School
Hampton High School
Hillel Academy
John A. Brashear High School
Keystone Oaks High School
Montour High School
Mt. Lebanon High School
North Allegheny High School
Oliver High School (2 Teams)
Pine-Richland High School
Quaker Valley High School (2 Teams)
Schenley High School
Seton-La Salle High School
Sewickley Academy
Shaler Area High School
South Fayette Township High School
Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
St. Joseph High School
Thomas Jefferson High School
Upper St. Clair High School
Vincentian Academy - Duquesne University
West Mifflin High School
Woodland Hills High School

REGION 2 - NORTHWEST PA
District 1: (Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence)
Ambridge Area High School
Beaver Area High School
Big Beaver Falls Area High School
Blackhawk High School
Center High School (2 Teams)
Freeport Area High School
Hopewell High School
Laurel High School
Mohawk High School
Monaca Jr./Sr. High School
Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School (2 Teams)
New Brighton Senior High School
Quigley Catholic High School
Riverside High School (2 Teams)
Rochester Area High School
Seneca Valley Intermediate High School
Seneca Valley Senior High School
Slippery Rock Area High School

District 2: (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Warren)
Clarion High School
Fort LeBoeuf High School
McDowell High School
Northwestern High School
Smethport Area High School

REGION 3 - SOUTHWEST PA
District 1: (Westmoreland)
Belle Vernon Area High School
Burrell 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 Area School District
Brownsville Area High School
Canon-McMillan High School
Charleroi Area High School
Connellsville Area High School
Frazier High School
Laurel Highlands Senior High School (2 Teams)
Peters Township High School
Ringgold High School
Trinity High School (2 Teams)

District 3: (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Clearfield, Fulton, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Indiana, Mifflin, Somerset)
Bellwood-Antis High School
Bishop Carroll High School
Brockway Area Jr./Sr. High School
Brookville Area High School
Central High School
Central Cambria High School
DuBois Catholic High School
Forest Hills High School
Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School
Homer Center High School
Punxsutawney Area High School

REGION 4 - NORTHCENTRAL PA
District 1: (Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Potter)
Bellefonte Area High School
Penns Valley High School
State College Area High School (2 Teams)

District 2: (Union, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Tioga)
Montgomery Area High School
Montoursville High School
Selinsgrove Area High School
South Williamsport Area Sr. High School
Williamsport Area High School

REGION 5 - NORTHEAST PA
District 1: (Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill)
Antietam High School
Blue Mountain High School
Conrad Weiser High School (2 Teams)
Easton Area High School
Exeter Senior High School
Fleetwood Area High School
Marian Catholic High School
Muhlenberg High School
Northampton Area Senior High School
Palmerton High School (2 Teams)
Schuylkill Valley High School (2 Teams)
Whitehall High School
Wilson High School
Wyomissing Area Jr./Sr. High School (2 Teams)

District 2: (Luzerne)
Bishop O'Reilly High School
Hazleton Area 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 Jr./Sr. High School
Dunmore High School
Honesdale High School
Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School
Mid Valley High School
North Pocono High School
Sacred Heart High School
Scranton Preparatory School
Valley View 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 Jr./Sr. High School
Pleasant Valley High School
Pocono Mountain East High School
Stroudsburg High School
Wallenpaupack Area High School

REGION 6 - SOUTHCENTRAL PA
District 1: (Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry)
Big Spring High School
Bishop McDevitt High School
Carlisle High School
Central Dauphin High School
Cumberland Valley High School (2 Teams)
Cumberland Valley Christian School
Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg University of Science & Technology High School
Milton Hershey Senior Hall
Susquenita High School
The Learning Center
Trinity High School (2 Teams)
West Perry High School

District 2: (York, Adams)
Eastern York High School (2 Teams)
Kennard-Dale High School
Littlestown High School
Spring Grove High School (2 Teams)
West York Area High School
William Penn 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 Country Day School
Linden Hall School
Manheim Township High School
McCaskey East High School/Meridian Annex
Penn Manor HS
Warwick High School

REGION 7 - SOUTHEAST PA
District 1: (Chester)
B. Reed Henderson High School
Bishop Shanahan High School (2 Teams)
Chester County Homeschoolers
Devon Preparatory School
Malvern Preparatory School
Phoenixville High School
Unionville High School
Villa Maria Academy

District 2: (Delaware)
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (2 Teams)
Archbishop John Carroll High School
Archbishop Predergast High School
Interboro High School
Merion Mercy Academy
Radnor High School (2 Teams)
Ridley High School (2 Teams)
Strath Haven High School
Valley Forge Military Academy & College

District 3: (Bucks)
Archbishop Wood High School (2 Teams)
Bensalem High School
Bristol High School
Central Bucks East High School
Central Bucks West High School
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School (2 Teams)
Holy Ghost Preparatory School (2 Teams)
H.O.M.E.S.
Neshaminy High School
Pennridge High School
Villa Joseph Marie High School
William Tennent High School

REGION 8 - PHILADELPHIA
A. Philip Randolph Career and Technical Academy
Abraham Lincoln High School
Archbishop Ryan High School
Benjamin Franklin High School
Blair Christian Academy
Bodine High School
Cardinal Dougherty High School
Carver High School of Engineering & Science (2 Teams)
Central High School
Chestnut Hill Academy
City Wide Youth Agency
Frankford High School
Franklin Learning Center
Furness High School
Germantown High School
George Washington High School
Girard College
High School for Creative and Performing Arts
J.R. Masterman High School
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
Monsignor Bonner High School
Northeast High School
Olney High School
Overbrook High School
Parkway Northwest High School
Parkway West High School (Gamma)
Roman Catholic High School (2 Teams)
Roxborough High School
Samuel S. Fels High School
Sayre High School
South Philadelphia High School
Springside School
Ss. John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School (2 Teams)
St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls
St. Joseph's Prep (2 Teams)
Strawberry Mansion High School
The Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charter School
West Philadelphia Catholic High School

REGION 9 - MONTGOMERY
Akiba Hebrew Academy
Baldwin School
Cheltenham High School
Episcopal Academy
Germantown Academy
Gwynedd Mercy Academy
Harriton High School (2 Teams)
Lansdale Catholic High School
La Salle College High School (2 Teams)
Lower Merion High School
Lower Moreland High School (2 Teams)
Methacton High School (2 Teams)
Mt. St. Joseph Academy (2 Teams)
Norristown Area High School
North Penn High School (2 Teams)
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (2 Teams)
The Haverford School (2 Teams)
Upper Dublin High School
Wissahickon High School (2 Teams)