February Hearsay Contributors

Commissioner Jill H. Sasser

Clark County Superior Court

Commissioner Jill H. Sasser began serving as a judical officer for Clark County Superior Court in 2021.

Courtney Mendoza

Petersen Rothermel Law Firm

Courtney Mendoza’s practice focuses on criminal defense and family law, including dissolutions, parenting plans, and child support.

Josh Sherman

Jane Clark Legal, PC

Josh Sherman is an associate attorney at Jane Clark Legal PC. His practice areas focus on Civil Litigation, Malpractice, Personal Injury, and Torts.

February in the Clark County Courthouse mean it’s time for High School Mock Trial. I have volunteered in some capacity or another with this tournament since I started practicing over ten years ago, and would recommend it to all local attorneys. But I am not hear to talk about Mock Trial. I am sure there will be a much more in depth article, complete with photos, in next month’s issue, so this month I would like to share another high school program I have been actively involved for the past 6 years.

In 2017, a teacher at my former high school (Central Catholic in Portland, OR) reached out to me to see if I was interested in volunteering with something called Constitution Team. The Constitution Team, or as it is technically called the We The People Program, focuses on expanding high school students knowledge and understanding of both the United States Constitution and what it means to be an engaged citizen in our country. We start meeting at the beginning of the school year, and the program culminates in a competition which simulates a congressional hearing. At the competition, the students “testify”, or give a prepared statement, to a panel of judges on two separate topics, and then respond to questions from the panel about each topic.

There are 6 units per team, and each unit is made up of about 4-5 students and focuses on a specific topic. For many years I coached Unit 2, which focuses on the creation of the Constitution. Local attorney Jack Green joined me in coaching Unit 2 three years ago, and has been actively involved in the program ever since. In the fall, I switched to Unit 5, which focuses on the Bill of Rights. Our topics in Unit 5 this year were about privacy/unenumerated rights and freedom of the press.

In late January and early February, the Central Catholic team competed in both the Regional and State Competitions, respectively. At State, we ended up placing 3rd in the entire state of Oregon, missing a chance to go to Nationals by just a hair (the top two teams in Oregon qualify). I know that Jack would join me in saying that we were so proud of the team for how well they did in both competitions. It is really inspiring to see a group of 16-18 year olds who are thoughtful and engaged with such important topics, and gives me a lot of hope that our future is in good hands.

If anyone is interested in volunteering next year or you want more information, reach out to me. We are always looking for people to act as practices judges as we prepare for the competitions. And don’t forget to volunteer for Mock Trial at the courthouse this year!