July 24, 2013 – The State Bar of Wisconsin is set to host the National Mock Trial competition next spring, and organizers of the event are pleased to announce that they have received the largest donation to date – $25,000 – from the Wisconsin Law Foundation.
“This donation is a great first step in the process of reaching our ultimate goal of $200,000,” said National Mock Trial Fundraising Committee Co-Chair Jim Boll.
Attorney Rory Hemp Boll serves as Boll's co-chair of the fundraising committee, and together they launched a major donor campaign at the beginning of June. The pair has high hopes for the next few months of the campaign.
“We were delighted to learn about the Wisconsin Law Foundation’s very impressive contribution. I’m confident that the donation will help the State Bar provide students from across the country with the best experience possible,” Boll said. “But we still have a lot of ground to cover, as the competition is just around the corner.”
The National Mock Trial competition will take place in Madison in May 2014. More than 1,000 students, judges, attorneys and observers are expected to attend from around the country, including Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and South Korea.
Katie Stenz is the public affairs coordinator with the State Bar of Wisconsin. She can be reached at kstenz@wisbar.org, or by phone at (608) 250-6145.
“Hitting the $200,000 mark is imperative. We need these funds to secure venues, materials and lodging,” Boll added.
The State Bar will also need help from hundreds of volunteers. Judges and attorneys are needed to judge the competition rounds and community members can donate their time to help show people around the courthouse and Capitol, run registration tables, provide food services, promote and coordinate special social activities and banquets, and facilitate judges’ receptions.
All donations are tax deductible and can be made out to the Wisconsin Law Foundation. The group also welcomes multiyear donations, which must be made by Feb. 1, 2014.
For more information, contact State Bar of Wisconsin Public Education Program Manager Marsha Varvil-Weld at 608-250-6191 or PubEdCoordinator@wisbar.org. You may also visit nationalmocktrial2014.wisbar.org.
