School will represent Pennsylvania at this week's National High School Mock Trial Championship in Philadelphia

HARRISBURG (May 5, 2010) - Scranton Preparatory School mock trial team was honored at the state Capitol Rotunda today for winning the Pennsylvania Bar Association Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition. Scranton Prep's team will be representing Pennsylvania at the National High School Mock Trial Championship hosted later this week in Philadelphia by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Members of the Scranton Prep team will be among the more than 750 high school students, teacher coaches and lawyer advisers who will converge in Philadelphia May 6 - 9 to compete in the national competition. Forty-four teams will vie for the national title. Pennsylvania law students, lawyers, judges, educators and other volunteers will staff the event and judge the mock trials.

The Scranton Prep team was recognized during a ceremony kicking off Law Month, a voluntary effort by the state and county bar associations to educate K-college students about the ideals of equality, justice and respect for the law. Because Pennsylvania is hosting this year's National High School Mock Trial Championship, the state bar association's Law-related Education Committee is encouraging Law Month presenters to lead mock trials in K-college classrooms.

"Mock trials are incredibly engaging and effective teaching tools," said Clifford E. Haines, PBA president. "The trials get kids actively involved in learning and challenge them to make decisions and articulate their thoughts. It's fitting to focus this year's Law Month on mock trial lessons and activities and to honor Pennsylvania's mock trial champions."

Joining Haines at the ceremony were First Lady and Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Marjorie O. Rendell; Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael Eakin; PBA Law-Related Education Committee members; Pennsylvania Bar Foundation President George Gvozdich; and Timothy S. Burns, chair of the PBA Young Lawyers Division, which organizes and oversees the PBA Statewide Mock Trial Competition.

"Law-related education programs get added attention during the month of May, but Pennsylvania students actually benefit throughout the year from the voluntary efforts of lawyers and judges," Grace R. Schuyler, chair of the PBA Law-Related Education Committee. "We're proud to honor the student champions of Pennsylvania's high school mock trial competition, to bring mock trial lessons into classrooms throughout the state and to thank volunteers for stepping forward to make it all possible."

The Scranton Preparatory School Mock Trial Team is composed of Jennifer Boland, Joseph Burke, Allison Durkin, Julia Fick, Stephen Murphy, Daniel Penetar, Devon Sheridan and Anna Walsh. The teacher coach is Mary Grace Phillips. The attorney advisors are Magistrate Judge Malachy Mannion of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and John O'Brien of Clarks Summit.

The mock trial team from B. Reed Henderson High School of West Chester, which placed second at the state competition, is currently on stand-by to compete at the national event. Henderson will be called into play should there be an odd number of teams participating.

Funding support for Law Month is provided by the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

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 in Philadelphia. More information about the national event is available at this Web site: http://www.2010nationalmocktrial.com.

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.