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Mock Trial Finals Saturday

Students from across the state will compete in the state finals in Durham.

The finals of the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s 7th Annual Justice Iredell Middle School Mock Trial Tournament will take place this Saturday, Dec. 16, at the Durham County Courthouse. Check-in for contestants begins at 9 a.m., competition begins at 10, and the awards ceremony will take place at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The finalists are comprised of eight district champions and two wildcard entrants that placed next highest in the regional competition. The finalists are:

  • District 1 – Elizabeth City Middle School of Elizabeth City
  • District 2 – Wayne School of Engineering of Goldsboro
  • District 3 – Carnage Magnet Middle School of Raleigh
  • District 4 – Parkton Elementary of Parkton
  • District 5 – Hanes Magnet of Winston-Salem
  • District 6 – Ridge Road Middle School of Charlotte
  • District 7 – Mabel School of Zionville
  • District 8 – Cane Creek Middle School of Fletcher
  • Wildcard – Dunn Middle School of Dunn
  • Wildcard – Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School of Charlotte

The Justice Iredell Middle School Mock Trial Tournament is an educational team program where middle school students have the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of civil/criminal law and courtroom procedures. Students representing attorneys and witnesses for both sides of a fictional case role play that case being tried in court.

A team led by a teacher is ideally composed of between six and 16 students, but can have more students on each team as alternates. The students are guided in their case through support of their teacher and attorney coaches. The program teaches the legal process and trial procedure. Hundreds of students participate each year.

Regional competition was conducted on Nov. 17 at 12 locations across the state. Fifty teams, 750 students, 54 teachers and more than 100 legal professionals participated in the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Law-Related Education event, which is funded by the NCBF Endowment.