Feb. 18, 2009 – On a cold Saturday in January, attorneys ventured out in subzero weather to serve as judges for the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution state hearing competition in Madison. On a balmy sunny Saturday in February, attorneys resisted the opportunity to enjoy unseasonably warm weather to serve as judges for the Wisconsin Regional High School Mock Trial Tournament.
“The State Bar thanks the scores of volunteer lawyers and judges who served as judges and coaches for these programs,” notes Michael Tobin, State Bar Law-related Education Committee vice chair. “The Mock Trial and We the People programs offer high school students both a unique opportunity to develop skills that will serve them for a lifetime and to examine significant social issues. Both programs also seek to promote better communication and cooperation between the school community and the legal profession.”
Mock Trial. More than 285 lawyers and judges participated in the Regional Mock Trial tournaments on Saturday, Feb. 7. More than 1,000 students competed, representing 97 schools statewide. The winners will meet in Madison on March 15 for the semifinal rounds. The final two teams will face off before the Wisconsin Supreme Court with the winner heading to nationals in Atlanta in May.
The High School Mock Trial Program helps students learn more about the law, court procedures, and the legal system while sharpening their analytical, listening, and speaking skills. This year’s competition involves a hypothetical environmental contamination case.
Members interested in being included on an on-call judges list for the Mock Trial Semifinal rounds on March 15 should contact LRE Coordinator Marsha Varvil-Weld at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191, or (608) 250-6191.
The State Bar thanks the following attorneys for serving as 2009 We the People Program judges: - Thomas Boykoff, Madison
- Joseph M. Cardamone III, Salem
- James Andrew Carney, Janesville
- Jacqueline Fontana, Madison
- James Godlewski, Neenah
- Paul Hauer, Milwaukee
- Michael Rosenberg, Milwaukee
- Larry Sarver, Appleton
- Steven Sorenson, Ripon
- Gretchen U. Stevens, Oconomowoc
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We the People. Wawautosa West High School took first place for the second consecutive year in the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution competition in January. Wawautosa West will represent Wisconsin in Washington, D.C., in April.
We the People is a national program based on a curriculum designed to promote a deeper understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Teams of high school students complete a semester instructional program that culminates with a mock congressional hearing at the State Capitol in January.
Find out more about these and other Law-related Education Committee-sponsored programs.
