HARRISBURG (March 27, 2007) - The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Bensalem High School, Franklin Learning Center, North Penn High School and Overbrook High School's mock trial teams are five of 12 Pennsylvania high school teams advancing to the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships, Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31, at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg. The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held May 10-13 in Dallas, Texas.

"The top 12 teams are the 'best of the best' of this year's statewide competition and we look forward to watching the students in action," said Justin B. Goldstein, chair, Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, which sponsors the competition. "It will take teamwork and strong communication and analytical skills to claim the title of 2007 Mock Trial Champions."

All 12 teams will compete in two quarterfinal rounds from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. The four winning teams of the quarterfinal rounds will advance to the semifinal round at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The state championship round will take place at noon on Saturday with Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge J. Michael Eakin presiding. All events will take place at the Dauphin County Courthouse.

This year, 286 teams from 251 schools competed in the district and regional levels of Pennsylvania's mock trial competition - one of the largest in the nation. This year's fictional case centers on a series of threatening remarks that appeared on a high school-run Internet chat room, which a student claims caused severe emotional distress resulting in lower grades and loss of a valedictorian scholarship.

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. Volunteer lawyers 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.

The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Mock Trial Team is composed of Jennie Carr, Lorraine Damerau, Leanne Lane, Mary Matthews, Katie McCabe, Mary Emily Pagano, Kate Puccio and Arianna Scavetti. The teacher coach is Ellen Lipschutz. The lawyer advisor is Joan Turner.

The Bensalem High School Mock Trial Team is composed of Rachel Begelman, Sarah Cook, Ryan Erliehman, Jarred Geller, Amy Masgay, Sarah Morisette and Kerryn Sklarow. The teacher coach is Linda Brown, and the lawyer advisor is Sara Rothman.

The Franklin Learning Center Mock Trial Team is composed of Zena Albarouki, Angelique Burgos, Samuel Friday, Monique Leslie, Hung Luong, Sabina O'Donnell and Darius Thomas. The teacher coach is Anne Levin. The alumni coach is Angelia Middleton. The lawyer advisors are Marit Anderson, Jennifer Herbst, Kacsem Lucas, J. B. Todd McCoy and Danny Schaffzin.

The North Penn High School Mock Trial Team is composed of Elise Chen, Tina Lawrence, Francesca Roley, Jon Schaefer, Ethan Simon, Andrew Wai, Dan Weston and Lucy Zhang. The teacher coach is Brian Haley. The lawyer advisor is John Weston.

The Overbrook High School Mock Trial Team is composed of Jamirah Burley, Teneice Costin, Levell Jones, Ubong Ikpe, Raheem Manning, Tiffany Robinson, Timothy Robinson and Latiana Wiggins. The teacher coach is Philip Beauchemin. The lawyer advisor is Khadijah Scott.

For more information on the 2007 Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide Mock Trial Championships, visit the PBA Web site at http://www.pabar.org/public/yld.