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  • Press Release
    August 02, 2012

    Madison to Host 2014 National Mock Trial Championship

    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.



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