News

Two Horry County teams take top spots in Middle School Mock Trial Competition

November 30, 2009

Two Horry County schools claimed the top spots in the state’s fifth annual Middle School Mock Trial Team Competition sponsored by the South Carolina Bar’s law related education division.

 
Forestbrook Middle School was named state champion, while North Myrtle Beach Middle School came in runner-up for the fourth year in a row.  The two teams were among 12 from five regional competitions that advanced to the state finals in Lexington. Forty-three middle schools from across the state started practicing last August, all hoping to make it to the top.
 
The Mock Trial program is a team activity that offers students hands-on exercise in learning about due process, the legal system and trial procedure. Students representing attorneys and witnesses for both sides of a fictional case role play that case being tried in court.  The presentation is guided by their teacher and attorney coaches.
 
Mock Trial programs are most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but also can be incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. During the annual competition, teams are judged on their members’ presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case.   
 
The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 13,000 lawyers, supports the program as part of its mission to advance justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.