Community High takes first and second place at Regional Mock Trial Tournament

Community High School left no debate when it came to which school could argue a case, make a point or win a mock trial. Community took first AND second place at the Washtenaw County Regional of the Michigan High School Mock Trial Tournament (MHSMTT) on Feb. 22. The event was held at the Washtenaw County Trial Courthouse in Ann Arbor.

And there was some strong competition on the opposition side of the room including Huron, Saline, Novi and Trenton.

The Community team has now qualified for the MHSMTT State Tournament on March 22.

There also will be a couple of opportunities to see the Community team in action locally through the Witness Lab project that is taking place at the U-M Museum of Art on March 12 and March 19.

Chloe Root is the team’s advisor.

Mock Trials are exciting activities to teach content and appreciation of our adversarial judicial system and are designed to reenact much of what might take place in a trial court. Students take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses and compete against each other in real courtrooms in front of real judges and lawyers.

Students interpret legal documents, witness statements, and take on roles and simulate a trial in real life and real time. Participants adjust to the strategies employed by the opposing side.

Mock trials draw upon historical events, trials of contemporary interest, school or classroom situations, or hypothetical and entertaining fact patterns to inspire students to think critically and creatively about the law.

The Michigan Center for Civic Education (MCCE) was established in 1982 as a non-partisan 501(C)3 nonprofit corporation. MCCE was created to be a premier organization dedicated to preparing an active and informed citizenry through law-related and civic education in Michigan.

The group is dedicated to providing youth with the knowledge and skills needed to become engaged citizens. Learning to swing cannot be done simply by reading a book; a person needs to jump into the water and to get wet. The same is true in regards to learning how to be a responsible, engaged citizen. Students need to have opportunities to practice the skills of citizenship and to interact with members of the community in order to understand how government works and how they can be actively engaged in the process.

For more information, HERE