NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 2, 2012
CONTACT:
Andrea Gage, J.D.
State Bar of Wisconsin
(608) 250-6025
(608) 630-0432 (cell)
(800) 444-9404, ext. 6025
agage@wisbar.org
Madison to Host 2014 National Mock Trial Championship
Roughly 500 Students Expected to Participate in
Competition
Madison, WI – High schoolers, attorney coaches,
and teachers from all over the globe will call Madison home during the
three-day competition, which will take place from May 9 to May 11, 2014.
This year’s competition in Albuquerque, New Mexico drew
approximately 1,100 participants and observers from 42 states, Guam, the
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and South Korea.
The National Mock Trial Championship is the culmination of months of
learning, practice and competition on the state level by young people
with an interest in the court system. Every high school in Wisconsin is
invited to participate in the Wisconsin Mock Trial Program. Teams, which
are made up of three student attorneys, three student witnesses, one
teacher coach and one attorney coach, compete to determine who will go
on to the National Championship.
Attorney Kevin Lonergan, chair of the State Bar’s Public
Education Committee, has served as a coach for 12 years and has traveled
to three national championships. Lonergan is happy that Madison will be
a part of such an enriching and memorable experience for 2014
participants.
“I had three children participate in the program. Two of my
children and many other students in our program have gone on to law
school. Mock Trial is a team activity, but students must perform
individually. They learn public speaking and they learn to think on
their feet. Even those students who do not go on to law school benefit
from those experiences. It is a great program, and a great opportunity
for practicing lawyers to reach out to the community. Hosting the
national competition in Wisconsin will bring greater recognition to this
outstanding program,” said Attorney Lonergan.
Lonergan is joined by legal professionals throughout the state in
dedicating time and resources to young people interested in the court
system. The State Bar of Wisconsin is sponsoring the event, and the Dane
County Circuit Court has agreed to allow students to use its
state-of-the-art courtrooms for competitions to enhance their learning
experience. The Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Legislature will also
provide space for student competitions. The National Mock Trial
Championship started in Des Moines, Iowa in 1984. Wisconsin last hosted
the tournament in 1992.
Learn more information about the Wisconsin
Mock Trial Competition and the National Mock Trial
Championship. To learn about volunteer opportunities, please email
Marsha Varvil-Weld at LRECoordinator@wisbar.org or
call (608) 250-6191.
The State Bar of Wisconsin is the mandatory professional
association, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, for attorneys who
hold a Wisconsin law license. With more than 23,000 members, the State
Bar aids the courts in improving the administration of justice, provides
continuing legal education for its members to help them maintain their
expertise, and assists Wisconsin lawyers in carrying out community
service initiatives to educate the public about the legal system and the
value of lawyers. For more information, visit www.wisbar.org.