Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
Photograph by
Jennifer Rosinski
From left to right: Albert W. Wallis, executive director of the Brown Rudnick Center for the Public Interest; MBA President Richard P. Campbell; Andrew P. Strehle, partner at Brown Rudnick.
Brown Rudnick sponsors 27th annual MBA Mock Trial
Brown Rudnick LLP, through its Center for the Public Interest,
presented the Massachusetts Bar Association with a $25,000 check
for the Mock Trial Program on Nov. 3. The international law firm
has supported the program since 1998.
More than 100 schools across the state are expected to compete in
this year's 27th annual program, which kicks off in
January with preliminary trials. The program places high school
teams from 16 regions across the state in a simulated courtroom
situation.
This year's case explores the division of legal responsibility
when addressing a pervasive social problem, one that is familiar to
most, if not all, high school students -- bullying. The issue at
the heart of the civil claim, to be tried by the participating
students is, what level of responsibility teachers bear in
identifying and preventing bullying among students. This is a topic
that is prevalent in the media and one that illustrates the
challenging intersection between law and social policy.
The finals will be held on March 23. Last year, The Pioneer
Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School of South Hadley won
the state championship and placed 31st in the national
tournament.