The Oklahoma Bar Journal May 2023

OBF-OBA P roject

Mock Trial Competition

By Jennifer Bruner Soltani Volunteers: Come One, Come All

T HE OKLAHOMA HIGH School Mock Trial Program has its own unique place in our association’s history. The pro gram was started by the OBA Young Lawyers Division, with the first competition held during the 1980-1981 school year. When it first began, only eight schools participated in the state competi tion. It was 1984 when Oklahoma sent a state competition winner on to compete at the National High School Mock Trial Competition. Over the course of our state’s com petition, Oklahoma high school students have had the opportu nity to compete as lawyers and witnesses in simulated courtroom experiences utilizing fictional cases. In recent years, the com petition has expanded to include courtroom artist and courtroom journalist components. It is my hope that this Oklahoma tradition will continue for another 40 years. I want to focus on recognizing the many volunteers who make this competition possible, not only those on the committee but also the trial site coordinators, scoring panelists and judges. This year, the compe tition was challenged by weather and other events that required the committee to reschedule eight trial site locations. This involved finding alternate venues, trial site coordi nators and/or judges and scoring panelists. I want to specifically

recognize Carolyn Thompson for her miraculous efforts in finding volunteers and getting them scheduled, rescheduled and, in some instances, rescheduled again. While recognizing the efforts of the many who are listed below, I also want to appeal to OBA mem bers across the state to participate and volunteer for Mock Trial. The Mock Trial Committee is in need of new committee members to keep this competition moving forward for many years to come. Involvement on the committee usually includes about five to 10 in-person or Zoom meetings per year, participation during the competition season and at the final round of the competi tion. Further, the committee’s lead ership also has the opportunity to attend the national competition, which is held at a different location every year. The committee’s meet ings are typically held at lunch or at the end of the workday to enable members to participate around their work schedules. The committee also needs to recruit trial site coordinator volun teers. This typically involves being at the trial site for a full day of competition and guiding the teams, teachers, students, presiding judge and scoring panelists through the competition rounds, while com pleting the paperwork to record the outcomes of each round. Trial site coordinators are needed across

the state – Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, El Reno, Ada, McAlester, Okmulgee, Norman, Stillwater, Arapaho, Tahlequah and Shawnee. The committee always needs new volunteers for judging and scoring panelists every year. Finally, many schools enlist the assistance of attorney coaches to help their teams prepare for the competition. There are many ways for attorneys and judges, actively practicing or retired, to participate in Mock Trial. Being involved on the Mock Trial committee provides a unique opportunity to see the talents of young people develop and grow as they participate over the years, to guide and provide support to those students and their teachers, and to give back to the legal com munity and Oklahoma communi ties. I invite all Oklahoma lawyers to participate. If you participated this year or have in the past, we have a need for your ongoing par ticipation. If you participated for the first time and found it interest ing or enjoyable, please volunteer. Email mocktrial@okbar.org to volunteer for the committee or any of the roles outlined above. Thank you to the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, which has enabled this competition to be held for so many years with their financial support. Thank you to the high schools, administrators, teachers and students for their

60 | MAY 2023

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL