More than 100 students participated in the 2024 Mock Trial Competition at Vermont Law and Graduate School on April 6. Teams included Brattleboro Union High School, Hartford High School, Mt. Mansfield Union High School, Rutland High School, Champlain Valley Union High School, Randolph Technical Career Center and Southwest VT Career Center.
The Vermont Bar Association was pleased to assist the organizers, the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, the Office of the Federal Public Defender, the Office of the Vermont Attorney General, and Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS), to present the Statewide High School Mock Trial Program.
Teams of judges and practitioners volunteered to judge the competition, which consisted of two rounds pitting prosecution teams against defense teams in mock trial courtrooms at VLGS. Judges from Vermont’s federal bench were Geoffrey Crawford, William Sessions, Heather Cooper, and Kevin Doyle and from Vermont Superior Court, Mary Miles Teachout (Ret.), Cortland Corsones, Daniel Richardson, and Mary Morrissey. Practitioners who served as judges included Mary Nerino, Barbara Masterson, Heather Ross and David McColgin. Special thanks to VBA Board Member and VLGS adjunct professor Jordana Levine who organized 15 of her VLGS students to assist in the classroom.
The MMU Prosecution II Team won the Best Overall Team award and CVU won the First Runner-Up award.
Thanks to all involved for the great experience!
Here are some pictures of the event provided by organizer and Court Administrator Teri Corsones: