2022 PBA Statewide Mock Trial Competition Draws 250 Teams from 203 High Schools

HARRISBURG (Feb. 1, 2022) —This month, 250 teams from 203 high schools across Pennsylvania will be competing in a virtual setting in district and regional levels of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the association’s Young Lawyers Division.

“This mock trial competition is designed to challenge students’ critical thinking skills, effective presentation techniques and dispute resolution tactics,” said PBA Young Lawyers Division Chair Paul D. Edger. “All of these elements can help prepare students to be successful in any future workplace setting whether it involves the field of law or other business sectors. PBA is pleased to play a role in this exciting learning opportunity that many teachers, legal professionals and volunteers have helped to make possible. Though the competition will be virtual again this year, PBA believes it will be a beneficial and memorable experience for all student participants.

Now in its 39th year, Pennsylvania’s mock trial program is one of the largest in the nation.

“I have witnessed amazing high school students over the years present cases that a skilled litigator would have difficulty with,” said Edger. “This program is a shining example of the PBA’s mission to promote legal education, and the quality of students that come out of this program every year is a great testament to that.”

During the competition, eight-member student teams are given the opportunity to argue both sides of the case 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 and sometimes judges 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, 16 high school mock trial teams will advance to the PBA Statewide Mock Trial Championships, March 25 and 26.

The winning team of the state championship will represent Pennsylvania in the national mock trial finals to be held virtually May 12-14.

This year’s hypothetical case is a criminal trial to determine whether the defendant is guilty of murdering a man of great wealth who was a former critical player in the horse-racing industry with an extensive list of connections.

The case was written by Jonathan A. Grode and Paul W. Kaufman, both of Philadelphia. Grode and Kaufman have been involved in the drafting of these materials for the past eight years.

For more information about the 2022 PBA Statewide Mock Trial Championships and to read this year’s case, visit https://www.pabar.org/site/For-the-Public/Mock-Trial-Competition. Interested volunteers should contact the PBA’s Maria Engles at 800-932-0311, extension 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 of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.

Teams participating in the 2021 Statewide Mock Trial Competition are from the following schools:

REGION 1

  • Allderdice High School
  • Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh
  • Avonworth High School
  • Eden Christian Academy
  • Fox Chapel Area High School (two teams)
  • Gateway High School
  • Hillel Academy
  • Montour High School
  • Moon Area High School
  • Mount Lebanon High School
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
  • Pine-Richland High School
  • Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12
  • Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
  • Quaker Valley High School
  • Saint Joseph High School
  • Seton-LaSalle High School
  • Sewickley Academy
  • Shady Side Academy
  • Shaler Area High School
  • South Fayette High School
  • Springdale Jr./Sr. High School
  • The Neighborhood Academy
  • Thomas Jefferson High School (two teams)
  • Upper St. Clair High School
  • West Mifflin High School
  • Winchester Thurston School
  • Woodland Hills High School

REGION 2

Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence counties

  • Ambridge Area High School
  • Beaver Area High School
  • Blackhawk High School
  • Butler Area High School (two teams)
  • Central Valley High School
  • Freeport High School
  • Moniteau Jr./Sr. High School
  • Neshannock High School (two teams)
  • North Catholic High School
  • Riverside/Lincoln High School
  • Seneca Valley Senior High School (two teams)
  • Wilmington Area High School

Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, Warren counties

  • Cranberry Area Jr./Sr. High School
  • Fort LeBoeuf High School
  • Grove City High School
  • Lakeview High School
  • Meadville Area Senior High School
  • Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy
  • Northwestern High School (two teams)
  • Youngsville Middle High School

REGION 3

Indiana, Somerset, Westmoreland counties

  • Derry Area High School
  • Franklin Regional High School
  • Greensburg Central Catholic High School
  • Greensburg Salem High School
  • Kiski Area High School
  • Penn-Trafford High School

Greene, Fayette, Washington counties

  • Canon-McMillan High School
  • Frazier High School
  • Peters Township High School (two teams)
  • Ringgold High School (two teams)
  • Trinity High School

REGION C

Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, Mifflin counties

  • Altoona Area High School
  • Bedford High School
  • Bellwood-Antis High School
  • Central Camrbai High School
  • Central High School
  • Richland Senior High School
  • Tyrone Area High School
  • Windber Area High School

REGION 4

Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Jefferson counties

  • Bellefonte Area High School
  • Dubois Area High School
  • DuBois Central Catholic High School
  • Mountoursville High School
  • Punxsutawney Area High School
  • State College Area High School

Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter counties

  • Brockway Area High School
  • Coudersport Jr./Sr. High School
  • Galeton Area High School
  • Kane Area High School
  • Oswayo Valley High School
  • Otto Eldred High School
  • Port Allegany High School
  • Ridgway Area High School
  • Saint Mary's Area High School
  • Smethport High School

REGION 5

Berks, Lehigh, Northampton counties

  • Allentown Central Catholic High School
  • Antietam Middle-Senior High School
  • Bethleham Catholic High School
  • Daniel Boone Area High School
  • Easton Area High School
  • Emmaus High School
  • Exeter Township High School
  • Fleetwood Area High School
  • Nazareth Area High School
  • Notre Dame High School -- Green Pond
  • Parkland High School
  • Pen Argyl Area High School
  • Schuylkill Valley High School

Luzerne, Schuylkill counties

  • Dallas High School
  • Hazletown Area High School
  • MMI Preparatory School
  • Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School

REGION 6

Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry counties

  • Bishop McDevitt High School
  • Cumberland Valley High School (two teams)
  • Eastern Lebanon County High School
  • Harrisburg High School -- SciTech Campus
  • Milton Hershey School
  • Trinity High School (two teams)

York, Adam counties

  • Kennard-Dale High School
  • Northern High School
  • Spring Grove High School (four teams)

Lancaster County

  • 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

REGION 7

Chester County

  • B. Reed Henderson High School
  • Bayard Rustin High School
  • Bishop Shanahan High School
  • Conestoga High School
  • Devon Preparatory School
  • Downington West High School
  • Great Valley High School
  • Owen J. Roberts High School
  • Pennslyvania Leadership Charter School (PALCS) (two teams)
  • Villa Maria Academy High School
  • West Chester East High School

Delaware County

  • Academy of Notre Dame
  • Archbishop John Carroll High School
  • Delaware County Christian School
  • Episcopal Academy (two teams)
  • Marple-Newton High School
  • Merion Mercy Academy (two teams)
  • Monsignor Bonner High School/Archbishop Predergast High School
  • Penn Wood High School
  • Strath Haven High School
  • Sun Valley High School
  • Upper Darby High School (two teams)

Bucks County

  • Bensalem High School
  • Bristol High School
  • Central Bucks High School East
  • Central Bucks High School South (two teams)
  • Central Bucks High School West
  • Council Rock High School South
  • Holy Ghost Preparatory School
  • Lenape Middle School
  • Pennridge High School
  • Plumstead Christian School
  • Tamanend Middle School
  • Quakertown Community High School
  • Villa Joseph Marie High School (two teams)

REGION 8

Philadelphia County

  • Academy at Palumbo High School (two teams)
  • Arts Academy of Benjamin Rush
  • CAPA
  • Central High School of Philadelphia (two teams)
  • Constitution High School
  • Esperanza Academy Charter High School
  • Franklin Learning Center High School
  • Germantown Friends School (two teams)
  • Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls
  • Masterman High School (three teams)
  • Nazareth Academy High School (two teams)
  • Philadelphia Academy Charter School (two teams)
  • Roman Catholic High School (three teams)
  • Saint Joseph's Preparatory School (two teams)
  • The Mathematics, Civics & Sciences Charcter School
  • William Penn Charter School

REGION 9

Montgomery County

  • Abington Senior High School
  • Coventry Christian School
  • Gwynedd Mercy Academy (two teams)
  • Harriton High School
  • Hatboro-Horsham High School
  • Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
  • Jenkintown High School (two teams)
  • Kohelet Yeshiva High School
  • La Salle College High School (two teams)
  • Lower Merion High School (two teams)
  • Lower Moreland High School (three teams)
  • Methacton High School (two teams)
  • Mount St. Joseph Academy (two teams)
  • North Penn High School
  • Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (two teams)
  • Souderton Area High School
  • The Baldwin School
  • The Haverford School (two teams)
  • Upper Dublin High School
  • Wissahickon High School (two teams)

REGION 10

Bradford, Lackawanna, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming counties

  • Abington Heights High School
  • Carbondale Area High School
  • Dunmore High School
  • Holy Cross High School
  • Honesdale High School
  • Mid Valley High School
  • North Pocono High School
  • Scranton High School
  • Scranton Preparatory School
  • Valley View High School

Carbon, Monroe, Pike counties

  • Delaware Valley High School
  • East Stroudsburg High School North
  • East Stroudsburg High School South
  • Jim Thorpe Area High School
  • Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School
  • Palmerton High School
  • Pocono Mountain West High School
  • Stroudsburg High School