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Students from 50 high schools across South Carolina will demonstrate their court room skills in the 39th annual SC Bar Regional High School Mock Trial Competitions on Feb. 22 at locations throughout the state.

Students will fill the roles of attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and timekeepers in the fictitious civil case, Mark Sawyer v FazioForensics, Inc. As the case reads, minor Mark Sawyer sustained a spinal cord injury and a concussion that resulted in quadriplegia and long-term memory impairment after falling down a mountain at a science camp hosted by FazioForensics, Inc. The boy’s father filed suit against the camp, and the defendant denies culpability and claims Mark hid his Type 1 Diabetes from the camp staff which led to his confusion and ensuing injuries.

Students will present the case before a panel of local volunteer lawyers and judges in Columbia, Conway, Greenville, Georgetown and Lexington. Each team will be judged on its presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case.

Participating high schools include:

Columbia, Central Court at the Decker Center, 2500 Decker Blvd., Columbia 29206

  • A.C. Flora High School
  • Cardinal Newman School
  • Dreher High School
  • Eau Claire High School
  • Heathwood Hall Episcopal High School
  • Indian Land High School
  • Lower Richland High School
  • Richland Northeast High School

Conway, Horry County Government and Justice Center, 1301 2nd Ave., Conway 29526

  • Academy for Technology WBTW and Academics
  • Carolina Forest High School
  • C.E. Murray High School
  • Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
  • Kingstree Senior High School
  • Socastee High School
  • West Florence High School
  • Wilson High School

Georgetown, Georgetown County Courthouse, 401 Cleland St., Georgetown 29440

  • Cane Bay High School
  • Charleston Collegiate School
  • Charleston School of the Arts
  • Fort Dorchester High School
  • James Island Charter School
  • May River High School
  • Summerville High School
  • Waccamaw High School
  • Wando High School
  • West Ashley High School

Greenville, Greenville County Courthouse, 305 E. North St., Greenville 29601

  • Bob Jones Academy
  • Chester High School
  • Clemson Area Classical Academy
  • Clover High School
  • Dorman High School
  • Fort Mill High School
  • Greenville Senior High School
  • Greenwod High School
  • Next High School
  • Riverside High School
  • Wade Hampton High School
  • York Prepatory Academy

Lexington, Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center, 205 E. Main St., Lexington 29072

  • Ben Lippen School
  • Bethune Bowman High School
  • Brookland Cayce High School
  • Chapin High School
  • Dutch Fork High School
  • Lexington High School
  • Nation Ford High School
  • North Augusta High School
  • Spring Hill High School
  • Strom Thurmond High School

Twelve teams from the five regional competitions will advance to the state competition March 13-14.

The Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the SC Bar’s Law Related Education (LRE) Division, which was developed in 1976 to improve the ability of teachers to instruct law related education. The program is supported by the Bar’s LRE Committee and made possible through a SC Bar Foundation Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts grant and the SC Bar. The program cultivates understanding of the legal system as well as critical thinking skills, problem analysis and teamwork in high school students across the state. Last year’s South Carolina Mock Trial champion finished fifth in the country at the national competition.