Posted in: Students & Educators › High School Mock Trial
Strom Thurmond High School took home first place in the 35th annual SC Bar State Mock Trial Competition held March 10-11 at the Matthew J. Perry Jr. Federal Courthouse in Columbia, marking the school’s sixth state title. Socastee High School was named first runner-up.
Strom Thurmond and Socastee high school teams were two of twelve that advanced from the Regional High School Mock Trial Competitions in Conway, Georgetown, Greenville, Lexington and Sumter to compete in the state competition. The winning team from Strom Thurmond High School will represent South Carolina at the National Competition in Hartford, Connecticut in May.
Participating students from Strom Thurmond High School were Madison Brawley, Alana Caddell, Maegan Carter, Patience Clark, Traterrious Holmes, Wilbur Holmes, Gage Quarles, Derek Rhodes, Anthony Scott, Rachel Simpkins, Bonnie Watson and Ryan Wood. The teacher coaches were Denise Jackson and Steven McKinney. The attorney coaches were Blair Massey and Sen. Shane Massey.
Participating students from Socastee High School were Cindy Dinh, Chapin Epps, Erica Holt, Randi Jennings, De Mason, Zack Odom, Cecia Zavala Ramos, Cinthia Zavala Ramos, Sydny Stegall and Sophie Stevanovich. The teacher coaches were Johanna Herndon and Lisa Malear, and the attorney coach was Brad Smith.
Teams presented the plaintiff and defense sides of a fictitious civil case before a panel of local volunteer lawyers and judges. This year’s case is a wrongful termination suit filed by Jamie Crown, a hospital employee who refused to receive the flu shot after his/her child passed away as a result of flu shot complications. Students filled the roles of attorneys, witnesses, bailiffs and timekeepers, and teams were judged on presentation skills, rather than the legal merits of the case.
The first Professionalism and Civility Award was presented this year to Chapin High School. The twelve competing teams collectively selected the recipient of this award.
For more information about the High School Mock Trial Program or case, visit www.scbar.org/lre.
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 Mock Trial Program is supported by the Bar’s LRE Committee and made possible through a SC Bar Foundation IOLTA grant and the SC Bar.