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Today, 48,000+ Maryland citizens have a better understanding of the law and our justice system thanks to the Maryland State Bar Association’s (MSBA) Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition. For 28 years, thousands of Maryland high school students, teachers, volunteer attorneys and volunteer judges have participated in the annual entertaining and educational mock trial competition, learning firsthand about our legal system in courtrooms across the state. MSBA’s public service program gives high school students valuable insight into the workings of our justice system, enabling them to better function as responsible citizens in society.
Through MSBA’s interactive and educational mock trial contest, high school students see the law in action and develop a more constructive attitude about our legal system. Courtroom drama unfolds in the mock trials as teams of students, coached by teachers and volunteer lawyers, enact a mock trial while a volunteer judge deliberates. The students engage in lively, theatrical mock trial re-enactments, work closely with volunteer lawyers and judges, learn firsthand about the law and emerge as citizens who are more knowledgeable about our legal system.
The actual mock trial always involves a contemporary issue that is relevant to the lives of high school students. This year’s case, which dovetails into MSBA’s Law Day “Rules of the Road” video contest, involves parent liability, teenage driving, alcohol use, negligence, contributory negligence and the last clear chance doctrine. It explores what happens when a teen drinks without parental permission, is permitted to drive a friend home, is in an accident where two pedestrians are struck and injured and a civil suit is filed by one of the victim’s parents.
The 2011 championship trial will be held April 15 at the Court of Appeals in Annapolis. Although only one high school team can be champion, every student who participates in the mock trial contest is a winner. They develop valuable skills for their future and gain a better understanding of our justice system just by seeing it in action.
Since its inception in 1983, MSBA’s Citizenship Law-Related Education Program (CLREP), MSBA’s educational arm in the state’s school system, has presented the Mock Trial Competition as a public education program to teach young people about the law and enhance their understanding of our legal system. The contest offers high school students a valuable insight into the workings of our justice system so that they can better understand its function in society. They see the law in action and develop a more constructive attitude about our country’s legal system.
“From a humble beginning 28 years ago with five teams participating and only 10 enactments of the case, Maryland mock trial has grown to include over 130 teams a year, over 2,000 students and over 600 enactments annually,” boasts Ellery “Rick” Miller, Jr., CLREP Executive Director. “It amazes me that over 48,000 students have now competed and the enthusiasm continues to grow. We have received inquiries from as far away as Hawaii requesting to use our case and we even had a private school from the District of Columbia asking if they could compete in Maryland.”
The Competition convened last fall, when 130 teams of high school students from all corners of Maryland began preparing for MSBA’s 2011 Mock Trial Competition with their respective teacher and volunteer lawyer coaches. The competitions begin in each county, advance to regional matches and culminate with the state championship. Overall, 600+ enactments of the mock trial are convened during the competition.
CLREP works with the students, teachers, volunteer attorney coaches and judges, administering the popular mock trial competition. It maps out the competition, registers and generally assists school teams, develops and publishes the casebook and schedules and manages the competition. The mock trial program begins with local matches, advances to regional contests and ultimately concludes in the final state championship.
Every mock trial is held in an actual courtroom with a real volunteer judge presiding to offer the students an upfront and realistic view of the key role that attorneys and judges play in our justice system. Most teams devote an average of 100+ hours of preparation to analyze the case and master team strategy and competition time to the mock trial program, although the time commitment does go as high as 150 hours for some teams.
“We have 700+ volunteer attorneys and judges who serve as attorney advisors, competition judges or scorers,” Miller continues. “The volunteer attorneys and judges enjoy the competition and find it quite rewarding. They interact with students in a creative and educational environment and get caught up in the excitement along with the students.”
“This interaction between the bar, bench and the young people of Maryland has many payoffs and positive outcomes,” adds Miller. “Young people learn about the judiciary, what attorneys do and how our system functions while exploring real-life issues. Often, attorneys will coach their son or daughter’s team and it creates a real opportunity for them to work together and learn greater appreciation of each other. One of the most satisfying aspects of the mock trial competition is the number of mock trial alumni who are now pursuing careers as teachers or attorneys and are donating their time as judges, attorney advisors or teacher-coaches.”
CLREP, MSBA’s educational arm, offers a number of opportunities for Maryland attorneys and judges to volunteer in public education programs in state schools. It also sponsors Law Links, Baltimore City Teen Court, peer mediation, school violence prevention and produces a wealth of publications and materials. MSBA members interested in volunteering for any law-related program may contact CLREP at (410) 706-5360 or visit www.clrep.org.
