Christian Heritage students head to national competition

MADISON, April 29, 2005 -- Hundreds of the brightest high school students from across the United States will flock to Charlotte, North Carolina May 5-7 for the national mock trial championships. A team of students from Christian Heritage High School in Milwaukee will compete for the national title. Christian Heritage earned the right to make the trip by winning its state-level competition earlier this year.

Hosted by the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, nearly 1,400 people, including more than 400 lawyers, 500 coaches, advisors and parents and 150 volunteers from the educational and legal communities are expected to participate. This year's championship case involves a fictitious incident at Lowe's Motor Speedway, one of the nation's premier NASCAR venues. Organizers say the racing theme is a natural fit.

The trials will be based upon a fictitious case developed by a team of writers that presents facts equally weighted for both the plaintiff and the defense. Students will portray the roles of attorneys and witnesses and will be bound by the simplified rules of evidence and procedure specifically developed for high school mock trial competition.

Some goals of the competition include promoting a greater understanding of and appreciation for the law, court procedures and the American judicial system, improving basic life skills such as critical thinking, reading, speaking and advocacy and improving communication and cooperation among key community members including schools, teachers, government leaders, law professionals and citizens.

For more information, visit www.legalexplorer.com or www.nationals.ncatl.org.

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 21,000 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.

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