Ever thought about being an attorney and trying your case in court?
If you have, be sure to come to the Kent Senior Activity Center Monday night, where you can hear about the High School Mock Trial Program.
Local attorney Lisa Voso will give an overview, as well as explaining how Kent schools and the local legal community can work together toward creating a first-ever program for the district.
The Kent Reporter is sponsoring the meeting, and will provide pizza as well as media coverage, including video.
Voso has coached six teams during her time as an attorney in Maryland, taking three to state competitions.
“This program not only gives them exposure to the justice system and how it works, but it is a very powerful program in terms of teamwork,” Voso said, noting the skills her former players built in the program.
Since its inception in 1984, the High School Mock Trial Program has given students the chance to become acquainted with the law, the workings of the court, and the possibilities of entering the legal profession.
At its heart, the program involves providing a court case to a team of high school students in November. They begin studying the case and learning about the characters involved, as well as covering courtroom procedures, open/closing arguments, direct/cross examinations and rules of evidence. Each high school team must have both a prosecution and defense team.
With that expertise under their belts, in February teams from across the state match up for district competitions. When the results are in, it is decided which 20 teams will make it to the state championship in late spring. From there, the top-ranking teams are given the opportunity to compete at the national level.
This year’s nationals take place in Philadelphia.
To learn more about the National High School Mock Trial program, go to www.nationalmocktrial.org/about.cfm. For information about the state-level program go to www.youthandgovernment.org/HOME.asp.
To learn more about how Kent can participate in this program, contact Voso at lisa@vosolaw.com.
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