YLS News Mock Trial Update By Matthew Wells, Davidson Law Firm, Ltd, Little Rock
At this year’s Annual Meeting, the Arkansas Bar Association Mock Trial Committee embarked on another successful year. Mock Trial is a program provided and run by the Arkansas Bar Association designed to teach high school students about the practice of law through participation in a simulated trial. The program provides students with a unique and unrivaled opportunity to learn the law and the legal system from practicing attorneys, with whom they coordinate to prepare and try a mock case, usually in a real courthouse in front of a sitting judge. Mock Trial regional competitions are held at the end of February each year, with winners advancing to the state championship held in March. One team from the state is invited to participate in national Mock Trial competitions which are held in different locations around the country. Work has already begun for the 2010 Mock Trial competition. Generating publicity and proliferating knowledge of the Mock Trial program—with the ultimate goal of adding more high schools to participate in the annual competition—are top priorities for this year’s Committee. The Committee hopes to spawn growth in the number of participating teams going forward, ultimately eclipsing even the highest team participation numbers of the past few years. In order to facilitate that goal, the Committee is seeking assistance from the Bar community. The Committee and student participants alike thank all the young lawyers who in the past have dedicated their valuable time to this rewarding program, as well as all those who will do so again this year!
Attorney volunteers are needed to coach participating high school teams around the state. Coaching is a wonderful way to give back to the community, develop business and reputation, and to instill in the community the good works provided by the state’s excellent legal community. If you would like more information on becoming a team coach in your area, please contact Taura McDaniel (taura@tmcdaniellaw.com) or Matthew Wells (mattheww@dlf-ar.com). The Committee will pair those who volunteer with a participating high school team in their area.
Vol.13 No. 2/Spring 2009 YLS In brief
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