​Dec. 22, 2014 – Attorneys and judges looking for a fun, fulfilling way to engage with prospective law students should consider volunteering for the State Bar of Wisconsin’s High School Mock Trial program. 

This year, students will tackle a tough criminal case about a law student who has been charged with the murder of one of his roommates. 

Jamie Covington, a third year law student, shot and killed their roommate, Dallas Lawson, when Lawson was entering the apartment through a bathroom window. Did Covington shoot Lawson in self-defense or was there an ulterior motive? 

Students – in teams of six to 12 – will argue the case in local court rooms around the state on Saturday, Feb. 14 during the 2015 Regional Tournament. 

Typically, the State Bar hosts 10 to 15 regional tournaments from Eau Claire to Racine. This year’s number and location of regions is expected to be finalized in January. 

Attorneys and judges looking to get their feet wet, can volunteer to judge a few rounds of competition or help with the scoring process – everything from picking up ballots to actually scoring the trials.    

As long as volunteers designate their preferred region when they sign up, the State Bar will ensure attorneys and judges are stationed at a courthouse in or around their community.

In addition to the regional tournament, volunteers can also lend a hand at the state semifinal, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison. To help with the semifinal, volunteers must have previously judged at least two rounds of mock trial within the past two years. 

Volunteer sign up is now online, so interested attorneys and judges should visit wisbar.org/mock_trial/pages/volunteer.aspx to register. 

To learn more about Wisconsin’s mock trial program, contact State Bar Public Education Program Manager Katie Wilcox at PubEdCoordinator@wisbar.org​ or (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191.​