Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
Get involved in Mock Trial
Volunteer as an attorney coach or judge in the 2010 Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament
The MBA invites you to volunteer as an attorney coach or judge
in the 2010 Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament. The MBA is
particularly pleased to be celebrating the 25th year of
the program this year. It is truly a testament to the dedication of
the many lawyers and teachers who volunteer their time that this
program continues to thrive.
Open to all public and private high school students in
Massachusetts, the Mock Trial Program is a rich curriculum that
promotes the development of fundamental knowledge, sound judgment
and critical thinking skills. In Mock Trial, students are placed in
a simulated courtroom situation where they assume the roles of
lawyers and witnesses in a hypothetical case.
As an attorney coach, you will be matched with a
teacher coach at a nearby school and will serve as the team's legal
advisor. Some attorney coaches attend two to three team meetings
throughout the year, to assist the team in developing their basic
strategy and courtroom techniques, while others play a more active
role in the team - accompanying them to each trial. While the
actual time commitment varies from team to team, most teams will
begin working with their attorney coach when the case is released
in early November of 2009. We are currently seeking volunteers to
assist schools in the following towns:
- Andover
- Ashburnham
- Boston
- Braintree
- Cambridge
- Dalton
- Dorchester
- Dracut
- Holliston
- Lawrence
- Lee
- Malden
- North Chelmsford
- Orange
- Springfield
- Tewksbury
- Wellesley
- Wilbraham
As a Mock Trial judge, you will attend an
orientation session in early January 2010 and will be scheduled to
preside over one or more trials in a courtroom near your home or
office. Judges are especially needed during the preliminary rounds
of the competition which run from late January until mid-February.
Each trial lasts approximately 2.5-3 hours. You may volunteer to
judge as little as one trial, although many judges prefer to judge
more.
For more information, contact Mock
Trial Central at (617) 338-0570 or [e-mail mocktrial]