Thirty-one schools competed in this year's first round of the Mock Trial Competition, triumphing over the daunting logistics of conflicting school schedules, weather woes, new locations and the challenge of lining up scores of busy Bar members to serve as presiding and scoring judges in the program. In total, more than 320 students will have participated in the NHBA-sponsored competition.

Sportsmanship and the values of education prevailed throughout.

On Friday, March 25, four New Hampshire middle schools braved an unexpected snowstorm to travel to the Jaffrey-Peterborough District Court, one of two new sites for Mock Trial this year.

Valenda Morrissette, the Bar's LRE program coordinator, said it was a hectic morning as she communicated with the four schools as to whether they planned to attend.

Waterville Valley Middle School-with the entire middle school of ten students making up the team-traveled the farthest, meeting Milford, Marborough and South Meadow at the courthouse. All the participants had to rearrange their schedules because what is usually a half-day event had become an all-day one. "No one wanted to cancel-and even though it took quite a bit of orchestrating because of the snow delays at the various schools, we worked it out," Morrissette said.

With the program running behind by two hours, Peterborough-Jaffrey District Court Presiding Judge L. Phillips Runyon (who was taking part as a volunteer judge), now had to fit in two arraignments. He decided to invite all the students into his courtroom to witness the one that involved underage drinking and false information charges. The students had the opportunity to see "real law working in a real courtroom," Morrissette said.

"That everyone worked so hard to make the day happen-despite the obstacles involved-just shows in what high regard the schools, the community and Bar members hold the Law Related Education programs," concluded Morrissette. "It was a great experience!"

At press time, one high school remained to be selected in the last first-round competition that was to be held April 1 at the Plymouth District Court. The state finals for the middle school and the high school categories are to be held Saturday, April 9 at the Hillsborough County Superior Court North courthouse in Manchester. (The teams argue the same case in the first round and the final round.)

The high school state champion will then compete in the Mock Trial Nationals to be held May 5-7, 2005, in Charlotte, NC.

To become part of the NHBA's Law Related Education program, contact Morrissette at (603) 224-6942 or at vmorrissette@nhbar.org.

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