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Thirty-four high schools from across the state will compete in the 41st annual SC Bar Regional High School Mock Trial Competition on Feb. 25 and 26. The events will be held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic.  

Students will present the prosecution and defense sides of a fictitious criminal case before a panel of local volunteer lawyers and judges. Additionally, students will fill the roles of attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs, and timekeepers.  

“The South Carolina Bar’s Mock Trial program is where so many young people get their first taste of the legal profession and the critical work lawyers perform in their communities and our society as a whole,” said Judge John M. Rucker, chair of the SC Bar Law Related Education (LRE) Committee. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see so many young minds problem solve, work together, and showcase their knowledge and preparation during our annual competitions. Shaping the next generation of leaders is what this program is all about.” 

This year’s fictitious case is State of SC vs. CJ Lannister, in which CJ Lannister pled not guilty to murder and guilty but mentally ill to arson. Each team will be judged on its presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case. 

Participating high schools in the competition include:

  • AC Flora High School, Columbia   
  • Academic Magnet High School, Charleston 
  • Beaufort Academy, Beaufort 
  • Bob Jones Academy, Greenville 
  • Brookland Cayce High School, Cayce 
  • Cane Bay High School, Summerville 
  • Carolina Forest High School, Myrtle Beach 
  • Chapin High School, Chapin 
  • Charleston County School of the Arts, Charleston 
  • Conway Christian School, Conway 
  • Conway High School, Conway 
  • Dreher High School, Columbia 
  • Dutch Fork High School, Irmo 
  • Eau Claire High School, Columbia 
  • Fort Dorchester High School, Charleston 
  • Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill 
  • Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, Hartsville 
  • Green Charter School, Greenville 
  • Greenville Classical Academy, Simpsonville 
  • Greenville Senior High Academy of Law, Finance and Business 
  • Greenwood High School, Greenwood 
  • Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia 
  • Irmo High School, Columbia 
  • Lucy Beckham High School. Mount Pleasant 
  • Nation Ford High School, Fort Mill 
  • North August High School, Augusta 
  • Richland Northeast High School, Columbia 
  • Socastee High School, Myrtle Beach 
  • Spring Hill High School, Chapin 
  • Spring Valley High School, Columbia 
  • Strom Thurmond High School, Johnston  
  • Wilson High School, Florence 
  • WJ Keenan High School, Columbia 
  • York Preparatory Academy, Rock Hill  

The top 12 schools will move on to state finals, held virtually, in March. The Mock Trial Program is sponsored by the SC Bar’s Law Related Education 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.