High School Mock Trial Looking for Legal Pros to Volunteer Their Expertise

BAY AREA, CA -- If you're a soon-to-be, practicing, or retired law professional anywhere in the Bay Area, then a high school mock trial program in the East Bay could use your help sometime in the next few weeks.

Professional expertise is needed to provide assistance to future lawyers during the upcoming 36th Annual Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial Program, held in the early evenings throughout the month of February, at the Martinez Court Rooms.

Last year, 120 Bay Area practicing and retired attorneys and sworn judges, as well as third-year law students volunteered their time with the Mock Trials.

Mock Trial, coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education, is an academic event provided for high school students. The hands-on educational program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society.

This year's grabbed-from-the-local-and-national-headlines case, the People v. Awbrey, is a trial about human trafficking and false imprisonment. The pretrial issue involves the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, namely protection against illegal search and seizure and against self-incrimination.

"I encourage all my fellow law professionals to join us in serving as Mock Trial judges and attorney scorers," Contra Costa County Presiding Judge Jill Fannin said. “I have been volunteering with this program for over fifteen years. I’m continually impressed with the dedication demonstrated by all the teams that participate in this challenging academic event.”

Teams of high school students work with teachers and volunteer coaches to prepare their version of the criminal case, from both the prosecution and defense perspectives. Students assume the roles of trial attorneys, pre-trial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, bailiffs, artists, and court journalists. Mock Trial judges and attorneys score their performance and provide immediate feedback. Winning teams advance through seven rounds of competition. The county’s champion advances to the State finals. This year, there will be 18 Contra Costa County high school Mock Trial teams competing.

Volunteers will score two competing schools that argue the case in their assigned court. Each night, will begin with a 15-minute rules and regulations training, then the volunteers will go into their scheduled courtrooms to serve as Mock Trial judge and scorers. The Mock Trials’ scorers are made up of Bay Area deputy district attorneys and deputy public defenders, as well as public-sector, private-practice, and corporate lawyers. In addition, seasoned law students are also welcome to participate. A practicing or retired judge or commissioner will preside over each trial, and also serves as one of the trial’s scorers.

Teams from the 17 Contra Costa County high schools will compete: Acalanes (Lafayette); Alhambra (Martinez); California (San Ramon); Campolindo (Moraga); Clayton Valley Charter (Concord); Concord (Concord); De Anza High (Richmond); Deer Valley Law Academy (Antioch); El Cerrito (El Cerrito); Hercules Middle/High (Hercules); Heritage (Brentwood); Kennedy (Richmond); Las Lomas (Walnut Creek); Miramonte (Orinda); Monte Vista (Danville); Pinole Valley (Pinole); Richmond (Richmond); St. Patrick–St. Vincent (Vallejo).

Schedule for 2017 Contra Costa County High School Mock Trials:
Preliminaries: February 7, 9, 14, 16, 5-7:30 p.m. (Eight competitions each night)
Quarterfinals: February 21, 5-7:30 p.m. (Four competitions)
Semifinals: February 23, 5-7:30 p.m. (Two competitions)
Final and Consolation: February 28, 5-7:30 p.m. (Two competitions)

Mock Trial will be headquartered at the A.F. Bray Courthouse, 1020 Ward Street, in Martinez. Interested volunteers can learn more by visiting the CCCOE’s Mock Trial Web page, or contacting Jonathan Lance at (925) 942-3429.

The two highest-scoring teams will advance to the finals on Tuesday, Feb. 24. The winning team then represents Contra Costa County at the California State Mock Trial competition in Riverside, Calif., March 24-26. The California state finalist team will then compete in the National Mock Trial Competition, held May 11-13, Hartford, Connecticut.

The California Mock Trial Program currently involves more than 36 counties and over 8,000 student participants from more than 400 teams. About 1,500 attorney volunteers serve as team coaches and scorers, and 500 Municipal, Superior, and Appellate Court judges preside over the trials.

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