Washington State Courts
03/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/24/2024 18:40
Washington State YMCA Mock Trial 2024 Champion: Seattle Prep High School
Washington State YMCA Mock Trial 2024 Champion: Seattle Prep High School
March 24, 2024The Seattle Prep High School (Blue) Mock Trial team was named Washington State 2024 Mock Trial champion Sunday after a final competitive trial against King's High School at the Pierce County Courthouse in Tacoma. Both teams are from King County.
As the state's 2024 champion, Seattle Prep qualifies to compete at the national high school Mock Trial championship in Delaware in May. Washington Mock Trial teams regularly place in the top 10 teams in the nation. Seattle Prep was the state's 2023 champion and took fourth place at the national championship.
The championship trial, which was recorded by TVW, was presided over by Court of Appeals Division II Judge Linda Lee. The championship tournament was held in the Pierce County Courthouse for the first time, after more than 20 years of being hosted at the Thurston County Courthouse. The tournament included 24 high school Mock Trial teams from 20 schools across the state arguing either side of a fictitious civil lawsuit involving a wealthy woman who left her fortune to her cat. The tournament included 155 judges and attorneys who volunteered to preside over the trials and rate the team members as they presented their cases.
The 2024 high school Mock Trial district tournaments involved 66 teams from across Washington, from which 24 qualified to move to the state finals. Mock Trial student teams are coached by volunteer attorneys and judges in their communities and spend several months learning the details of that year's competition case, rules of evidence, courtroom procedures, skills such as cross examination, testifying, presenting opening and closing statements, the legal bases for objections, and much more.
The top 12 high school finalists of the 2024 competition are as follows:
| 1st:Seattle Prep - Blue | 7th:Marysville :YMCA |
| 2nd:King's High School | 8th:Holy Names Academy |
| 3rd:Franklin HS - Malachite | 9th:Columbia River HS |
| 4th:Wenatchee HS | 10th:University Prep HS |
| 5th:Oaks Christian Academy | 11th:Eastlake HS - Crimson |
| 6th: Skyline HS - Green | 12th: Skyline HS -- Silver |
The William Downing Values Award was presented to the Port Townsend High School team. The award goes to the team best exhibiting values of sportsmanship, respect and professionalism promoted through the YMCA Mock Trial mission.
The Outstanding Attorney award for the tournament was presented to Sabrina Neal of the Marysville YMCA team. The Outstanding Witness award was presented to Naomi Kang of the Skyline team.
For the final championship trial, the Outstanding Attorney was Micah White of King's High School. The Outstanding Witness was Lauren Teders of Seattle Prep.
"Thank you all for the privilege of serving as your presiding judge today," said Judge Lee after completion of the final trial. "I've been a judge for 20 years and the participants in today's trial left me in awe. You are amazing."
The YMCA Mock Trial program began in 1987 and is part of the YMCA's Youth & Government program which helps students experience democracy in action. Mock Trial allows students to participate in true-to-life courtroom drama before real judges and attorneys, gaining an understanding of the law and the role of the judiciary, as well as developing skills in public speaking, advocacy, and more.
CONTACTS: Judge Robert Lewis, Mock Trial Program Chair, [email protected], 360-397-2226;Lorrie Thompson, senior communications officer, Administrative Office of the Courts, [email protected]. Washington Courts Media Contacts: