The 2018 State Champion team from Shorewood High School. Center in the back is Judge Stephen Crocker, who volunteered as presiding judge for the final round in March 2018.

Jan. 19, 2022 – Volunteering for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s High School Mock Trial Program just once can inspire lawyers to return year after year, according to Christina Lucchesi.

"This experience with colleagues and students is deeply rewarding," she says​.

Lucchesi practices in government finance with von Briesen & Roper SC in Milwaukee, but always takes time each February to volunteer as a performance judge for the program’s regional tournaments.

After participating for the first time five years ago, she said, “I knew I would always be involved as a volunteer.” And as a former teacher, Lucchesi sees mock trial volunteering as an opportunity to continue to teach and share what she has learned in her practice as an attorney.

The amount of effort the students put into the competition is impressive, she says. “It is thrilling to see the diligence and sincerity of the students exhibited in every mock trial performance. All are prepared and engaged in whatever role they play, be they counsel, witness, or timekeeper,” Lucchesi says. “They are deeply respectful of the process and the mock trial program, and never fail to exhibit their appreciation and gratitude upon the conclusion of the event. This is a wonderful thing to see and to be a part of.”

Mock trial is a great way to be involved in cultivating the next generation of lawyers. “I encourage you to become involved in this very fulfilling experience,” says Lucchesi, who is signed up to serve again as a scoring judge for the upcoming regional competition.

Online Again in 2022

The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2022 High School Mock Trial Competition is once again being held via Zoom, as in 2021, ​with 86 teams signed up to compete.

Volunteers – whether attorneys or judges on the bench – are needed for competitions taking place online in February and March.

Volunteers needed as judges for:

• Statewide virtual regional competitions, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 12-13, 2022. There are two sessions per day, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.

• Semifinal virtual competitions are Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6, 2022. There are two sessions per day, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.

Volunteers may choose to be judges for either the morning or afternoon competitions, or for both.

To volunteer, visit wisbar.org/mocktrial and click the volunteer link at the bottom of the page. If you have questions, contact Katie Wilcox by email or phone at (608) 250-6191, or (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191.

2022 Case Ponders Disability Rights Question

As part of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2022 High School Mock Trial Competition, made possible with grants from the Wisconsin Law Foundation, students will explore the termination of an employee with diabetes.

While the employer says the employee was fired due to violating work rules, the employee-plaintiff says the firing came after the employee fainted due to diabetic shock. Find out more about the case for 2022.

The Wisconsin High School Mock Trial program is funded by a generous grant from the Wisconsin Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the State Bar of Wisconsin, supporting law-related education and public service programs statewide.