THE NHBA'S Law-Related Education program is seeking volunteer attorneys to serve as presiding and scoring judges for its annual Mock Trial competition to be held in March. By participating in this valuable program, attorneys can help students learn about the trial process and our system of justice.

The competition, sponsored by the NHBA and the NH Bar Foundation, annually involves hundreds of students from several dozen schools statewide. Students from middle school through high school form teams that spend several months preparing to argue both sides of a controversial court case.

This year's case, Jamie B. Foote, a minor, by Pat Foote, the next best friend, et. al. v. J.R. Moses, et. al. and Smallville Public School District, involves the constitutionality of a school policy against dancing on school premises. A group of high school students requests permission from the school board to hold a homecoming dance at the school, but their request is turned down because of a board policy prohibiting school-sponsored dances. The students have filed suit in federal court, stating that the anti-dancing policy violates the establishment clause, the free speech clause and freedom of association, as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Also, in response to the students' request to hold a Students Against Drunk Driving dance at the school, the board changed its School Rental Use Policy to prohibit use of school facilities by non-school groups. This, the students say, amounts to a denial of due process and equal protection as protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

For the full materials of the case, go to the "For the Public" area of this site, then click on Law-Related Education, then click on Mock Trial Program. A Mock Trial competition team entry form and instruction manual are also available here.

Students participating in Mock Trial are supervised by teachers and volunteer lawyer coaches as they research facts to develop both sides of the case, then prepare for trial, with the students playing the roles of attorneys, plaintiffs and witnesses. By participating in Mock Trial, students learn about constitutional and legal issues, courtroom procedure, public speaking and teamwork as they undergo the demanding task of preparing for trial and presenting a case.

The LRE program is currently seeking volunteer attorneys to serve as presiding judges and on scoring panels during the two rounds of statewide competition in the middle and high school categories. Regional and final competitions will be held at several courthouses throughout the state in March.

The high school Mock Trial champion earns the privilege of representing New Hampshire in the national competition later in the spring.

To volunteer your time or for more information on the Mock Trial competition, please contact Melissa Childs, LRE coordinator, at the Bar Center at (603) 224-6942 or via e-mail at

Home | About the Bar | For Members | For the Public | Legal Links | Publications | Online Store
Lawyer Referral Service | Law-Related Education | NHBA•CLE | NHBA Insurance Agency | NHMCLE
Search | Calendar

New Hampshire Bar Association
2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord NH 03301
phone: (603) 224-6942 fax: (603) 224-2910
email: NHBAinfo@nhbar.org
© NH Bar Association Disclaimer