Recent News

January 8, 2010

Volunteers Needed to Judge District Mock Trial

Students from Franklin County will take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses arguing both sides of a hypothetical case in the 2010 Ohio High School Mock Trial Competition, annual program of the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education. Here in Columbus the district competition will be held Friday, February 5, at the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse from 1 – 5:15 p.m. The Columbus Bar is looking for 50 attorneys or judges to volunteer as judges for the competition, two trials held back-to-back. Volunteers must be able to judge both trials. Materials to prepare volunteers for their role as judges are available via email in advance of brief mandatory training sessions.

The 2009-2010 Ohio Mock Trial case, titled Alex Leslie v. Erehwon Local School District, explores online social media and the proper limitations upon students’ First Amendment rights.

Through a simulated trial in a real courtroom, teams of five to eleven students prepare and participate in two trials against different high schools as plaintiff and defense. Students learn firsthand about the law, court procedures and the judicial system while building interpretation, critical thinking and public thinking skills. District winners from throughout the state will advance to the regional competition on Friday, February 26. The state finals are March 11-13 in Columbus, and the final championship round will be held in the Ohio Statehouse. The state winner will compete in the national competition in Philadelphia in May.

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer judge, contact Donna Sweet at 221.4112 or donna@bcalaw.org for more details.