The Oklahoma Bar Journal April 2026

B ar N ews The Academy of Classical Christian Studies Wins State Mock Trial Championship

T WO TEAMS REPRESENTING the Academy of Classical Christian Studies in Oklahoma City earned the honor of competing in this year’s Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Championship. The teams met for the final round of competition on March 3 in Tulsa at the Page Belcher Federal Building and U.S. Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The high school’s “Team Goodness,” in its role as plaintiff, defeated “Team

Beauty,” in the role of defendant, in the fictional case of “Tony Shapiro v. Blackstone Insurance Company.” Team Goodness will now advance to represent Oklahoma at the National High School Mock Trial Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, in May. Through the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial program, which is funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, high school students assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses as they build and argue cases before volun teer judges. Thirty-eight teams from across the state competed this year. Competition season began last fall. “The High School Mock Trial program, now in its 45th year, is a unique activity that sharpens thinking, listening and speaking skills,” said Mock Trial Coordinator Mike Horn. “Students must ana lyze the materials from all perspec tives and learn to build persuasive arguments. They develop critical thinking and reasoning skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Many former mock trial com petitors go on to become lawyers and judges, and several participate now as volunteers.” The final round was presented

MOCK TRIAL COMMITTEE Mike Horn, Coordinator Gigi McCormick, OBA Staff Liaison Anthony Purinton, Chair Madison Botizan S. Shea Bracken Jennifer Bruner Soltani Hayley Drusen Keaton Klepper Gessica McLanahan Judy Spencer Nathan Richter Dylan Voorhis Maggie White Zana Williams SITE COORDINATORS Carolyn Thompson, Oklahoma City and Tulsa Volunteer Coordinator Judge Tim Mills, Pittsburg County Colton Scott, Rogers County Robin Rollins, East Central University April McClure, Cherokee Supreme Court Jennifer Bruner Soltani, Canadian County Justin Tharp, Custer County

Long-time Mock Trial Coordinator Judy Spencer, who retired in 2025, was honored by the OBA Mock Trial Committee with the inaugural “Judy Spencer Award” during the finals competition in Tulsa.

to a distinguished panel of judges. The presiding judge

was Judge Jane Wiseman of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals.

52 | APRIL 2026

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL