FOUR MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL FINALISTS
IN STATE BAR MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION

The 2008-2009 Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition is down to its final "magnificent four."  Last fall, over 2000 high school students, representing 120 high schools across Maryland, entered the Maryland State Bar Association's (MSBA) annual statewide High School Mock Trial Competition, hoping to advance to this year's final championship which will be held in Annapolis on April 23-24, 2009.

        The top four teams to emerge as the "magnificent four" finalists are:  Allegany High School in Allegany County; Severn School in Anne Arundel County; Friends School of Baltimore in Baltimore City; and Richard Montgomery in Montgomery County.

        In this competition, student mock trial teams perform the same trial, assuming the roles of attorneys and witnesses.  Teams devote countless hours in preparation for the competition under the direction and guidance of volunteer attorney and teacher advisors.  Attorneys and judges volunteer to coach the students and assist them throughout the competition.  MSBA's educational arm in Maryland schools, the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program (CLREP), manages the competition.

         Since its inception in 1983, over 42,000 Maryland youth have participated in MSBA's Mock Trial Competition.  MSBA sponsors this educational and enjoyable contest to promote young people's understanding of the law, trial procedures and the legal system. The State Championship will be webcast live beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24,
http://www.courts.state.md.us/coappeals/webcast.html.

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