The Ohio Mock Trial competition returns in January 2022. The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) has yet to announce whether this year’s competition will take place in person or virtually as it did in 2021. No matter the platform, the enthusiasm of the hundreds of local students who participate annually is stronger than ever. The Cincinnati Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section (YLS) is again hosting the presentation of this important opportunity for hands-on law-related education, and the Cincinnati Bar Foundation is sponsoring the competition.
This year, the case up for debate addresses the scope of the Takings Clause under the Fifth Amendment. Here, a restaurant owner looks for compensation under the Takings Clause after having to shut down their restaurant amid the government mandated COVID-19 restrictions. The students are tasked with arguing whether the pandemic restrictions were so severe that compensation is warranted. There will be no easy answer to this case. As high school students across the greater Cincinnati area are preparing to participate in this competition, we need our legal community to help provide guidance, feedback, and perspective.
YLS is seeking more than 100 volunteer lawyers for the 2022 Mock Trial Competition. Local attorneys give back to the community by sharing knowledge and enthusiasm for the practice of law as volunteer judges in the competition. Whether you are a seasoned volunteer, or this is your first time participating in the Mock Trial competition, your assistance is critical to the program’s success. For more than 30 years, Mock Trial has given students a practical introduction to the justice system, the Constitution, and the legal process by giving them the opportunity to participate in mock trials as either lawyers or witnesses. In the hour-long simulated trial, students present opening statements, cross-examination, closing arguments, and more.
The CBA will assist the OCLRE by recruiting local volunteer judges for the district and regional competitions. Attorneys who volunteer are vital to the process and will preside as judges over both rounds of competition. During the trial, judges observe, grade, and provide feedback on the performances of the students. The level of dedication and enthusiasm by the students is always impressive. Students truly appreciate the participation and thoughts of local attorneys. You can be part of this exciting opportunity to impact local high school students.
More than 350 students from approximately 22 area high schools participate each year. As co-chairs of YLS’s Mock Trial Committee, Chelsea Chalk and Kristin Riebsomer encourage each of you to take this opportunity to volunteer, be involved, and support local students interested in the practice of law.
The district competition is currently slated for January 14, 2022. The regional competition will follow on February 18. (Times are to be announced.) The CBA will provide an optional training session on January 13, 2022 at 12 p.m. via Zoom, to provide familiarization with the case, the process, and to answer any questions about the competition.
If you are interested in volunteering as a judge, please contact Jamie Shiverdecker at the Cincinnati Bar Association at 513-699-4013 or jshiverdecker@cincybar.org.
For more information on the 2022 case, please visit the OCLRE website at http://www.oclre.org/aws/OCLRE/pt/sp/mocktrial_highschool . If you have enjoyed judging in the past or wish to become even more engaged with a high school mock trial team, please consider becoming a legal advisor. Please contact the Ohio Center for Law Related Education at 614-485-3507 for more information.
We hope you will join us!
Chelsea Chalk, Dinsmore & Shohl, and Kristen Riebsomer, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, are the Mock Trial co-chairs.