04/01/2009

KTI Paralegals Volunteer for Mock Trial Competition

Nine paralegal students from Keystone Technical Institute volunteered to judge participants in the 2009 Pennsylvania Bar Association’s High School Mock Trial Competition. Celebrating its 25th year, the Pennsylvania competition ranks as one of the largest in the nation. Over 300 high school teams participated this year, and the winners advanced on to the district, regional, state, and national levels.

The competition provides students the opportunity to participate in a simulated case and serve as lawyers and witnesses in an actual courtroom before a court of common pleas judge. Inv o lvement in the competition provides high school students the opportunity to understand and experience the legal system and work with legal professionals. Each team works with a volunteer attorney-advisor for several months to prepare the case for trial. The students learn and apply actual rules of court, question witnesses, and respond to objections. This year’s mock trial case involves an employer’s potential liability for the negligent actions of an employee, which results in the death of a young woman.

As part of this volunteer project, KTI students had the opportunity to meet the Honorable Richard A. Lewis, President Judge, and the Honorable John F. Cherry, Judge, Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas. Paralegal students served as jurors, alongside attorneys, administrative law judges, a n d o t h e r l e g a l professionals, to score and evaluate the mock trial students on their delivery of the case. KTI students evaluated regional finalists in such areas as the presentation of opening and closing statements, reliance on notes, and direct and cross examination of witnesses. As mock jurors, s t u d e n t s simulated discussions and evaluation of the case to reach a verdict. The paralegal students experienced first hand the mystery of what truly occurs in a jury room.

Central High School of Blair County will represent Pennsylvania at the national mock trial finals, May 6-10, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia. High school students from over 44 states, U.S. territories, and South Korea participate in this two-day national competition.

The Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will show the recorded final round of the statewide competition on April 3, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., April 4, 2009 at 5:00 p.m., and April 5, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. The Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, will provide funding support for the broadcast.

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