SC Bar Association High School Mock Trial Program

From the South Carolina Bar Association:

The High School Mock Trial Program, sponsored by the SC Bar Association, is a hands-on exercise in learning about the American judicial system, the mechanics of litigation, and due process. It is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity but can also be incorporated into law, forensics, or public speaking classes. Through participation in the mock trial program, students increase basic skills such as listening, speaking, writing, reading, and problem analysis.

Each participating school enters a team sponsored by a teacher volunteer. Each team is composed of between seven and 18 students. Teams prepare and try fictitious court cases against other teams at regional competitions in February. The teams winning the regional competitions advance to compete at the state championship in March.

All participants are encouraged to keep in mind that the goal of the mock trial program is not simply to win for the sake of winning. The overarching goal is to learn and to understand the meaning of good citizenship in a democracy through participation in our system of law and justice.

Barrow Law Firm, through the efforts of A. Elliott Barrow, Jr., along with attorney Emily G. Johnston and attorney/teacher Sally Wallace, has coached the Mock Trial Team hosted by Wando High School (Mt. Pleasant, SC) for the last six years. For each of those years the Wando team has won the regional competition and advanced to the state competition held in Columbia, S.C. It’s a privilege to work with so many bright students!

Photo Credit: SC Bar