Congratulations to Rhinelander High School’s mock trial team! They finished in eighth place out of 46 teams this past weekend at the 2014 National Mock Trial Championship.

Photos from the event are on the State Bar’s Facebook page.

May 12, 2014 – Rhinelander High School’s mock trial team finished in eighth place out of 46 teams this past weekend at the 2014 National Mock Trial Championship, a three-day event that culminated in a final championship round Saturday night in Madison.

Washington’s state’s Seattle Preparatory School, which finished with a 5-0 record, claimed the 2014 national title, besting South Carolina’s North Myrtle Beach High School in the championship finals in the Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing room.

Rhinelander, the state champion from Wisconsin, finished with a 3-1 record behind Ohio (3rd), California (4th), Arizona (5th), Virginia (6th), and Oregon (7th).

Nearly 500 students competed in the event from 43 states plus Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and South Korea. Most trials took place at the Dane County Circuit Courthouse. Some trials took place at the Wisconsin State Capitol building.

It was Rhinelander’s 17th appearance at the National High School Mock Trial Championship, hosted by Wisconsin for the first time since 1992.

Rhinelander team members include: Erin Tenderholt; Anna Catlin; Amber Sheth; Lydia O’Brien; Albi Sabani; Ellie Rickman; Emily Ditzler; Mike Anderson; and Sydney Schallock. Kathy Vick-Martini is team’s teacher-coach, along with attorney-coaches Jim Jacobi, Amy Ferguson, and Oneida County Circuit Court Judge Michael Bloom.

Zombie-themed Case

Each team competed in four rounds of head-to-head competition, using three attorneys and three witnesses to make the case before a panel of scoring judges. The presiding judge, actual judges in some cases, ruled on objections and other issues during trial.

The case, Estate of George Romero v. Ashley Williams, involved the death of George Romero, co-owner of an energy drink company. He died while celebrating at the “Zombiepocalypse,” a party following a 5k “zombie run” to promote the company’s energy drink products. The circumstances surrounding Romero’s death were at issue.

Students had some fun with the “Zombiepocalypse” theme, including a full-blown “zombie party” on Friday night after the first two rounds of competition. Photos of this event and other weekend events are available at the State Bar’s Facebook page.

With Help from Wisconsin’s Legal Community, Event is a Success

Over the past few months, many State Bar members came together to promote and support the 2014 National High School Mock Trial Championship. Nearly 350 individuals, including judges and attorneys, volunteered their time at the event.

In addition, members donated their money to the tune of nearly $150,000. The State Bar received two major donations from the Wisconsin Law Foundation ($25,000) and the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates ($35,000).

The State Bar also received generous contributions from the State Bar’s Family Law Section, the Litigation Section, and the Wisconsin Civil Justice Education Foundation. Other firms, associations, and individuals helped provide the funding necessary to ensure a memorable experience for the many students, parents, and volunteers that descended on Madison. View the full list of donors.

The State Bar of Wisconsin, as host, thanks all the volunteers and financial donors who helped make this year’s competition a true success. In addition, the State Bar congratulates all the participating students for an extraordinary job well done. Next year’s National Mock Trial Championship will take place in Raleigh, NC.