In a rematch of last year's state final, the Winsor School of
Boston defeated Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public
School of South Hadley to repeat as State Champion in the
29th annual High School Mock Trial Program presented by
the Massachusetts Bar Association.
The Winsor School advanced to the National High School Mock
Trial Championship in Madison, WI, May 8-10. A portion of their
trip was funded by a donation from the Mass. Bar Association's
philanthropic partner, the Massachusetts Bar Foundation. The
championship marks the third state title for Winsor since 2010.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Howard Whitehead presided
over the mock trial, and was assisted by Superior Court Judge Kathe
Tuttman and Superior Court Judge S. Jane Haggerty. The judges
commended the students for performing as well as the seasoned
lawyers they see in their actual courtrooms each day.
The annual competition places high school teams from across the
state in simulated courtroom situations where they assume the roles
of lawyers, defendants and witnesses in hypothetical cases. A total
of 139 teams competed in this year's competition which featured 211
trials, 106 judges and more than 40 court venues across the state.
The program is administered by the Mass. Bar Association with
support from the Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Corp. and the
Massachusetts Bar Foundation.