Two Maryland high schools are set to compete in the Maryland Court of Appeals for the 2014 Mock Trial State Championship on Friday, April 25. The event will take place in the Court of Appeals courtroom, where students will present their cases before Judge Robert N. McDonald.
Prior to the final showdown, four teams will participate in semifinals on Thursday, April 24, at the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County in Annapolis. The semifinalists include Eleanor Roosevelt High School from Prince George’s County, Richard Montgomery High School from Montgomery County, and The Park School and Franklin High School from Baltimore County. The winners of these semifinals will advance to argue before Judge McDonald.
The competition is organized by the Citizenship Law-Related Education Program (CLREP), with support from the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Judicial Conference. High school teams compete multiple times locally before reaching the state championship level, with most matches taking place in District or Circuit courtrooms.
Since its inception in 1983, over 54,000 students across Maryland have participated in this mock trial competition. The program relies on volunteer attorneys and judges who contribute by coaching teams and scoring competitions at various levels.
The championship event details are as follows: it will occur on Friday, April 25, 2014, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Maryland Court of Appeals located at 361 Rowe Blvd., Annapolis, Md. Judge Robert N. McDonald will preside over the proceedings.
For media inquiries or attendance confirmation, contact the Office of Communications and Public Affairs at 410-260-1488. Cameras are allowed before and after arguments which begin at 10 a.m., and a live webcast will be available on www.mdcourts.gov.