The Norwich High School Mock Trial team: Maya Adoff, Anne Boland, Kyra Brunick-Davis, Alivia Burrell, Emma Colosi, William Fenton, Hannah Fillmore, Carlie Gale, Collin Reid, Shaelyn Rice and Mikalya Sastri. Also included are NHS teacher-coach Hayleigh Snyder and attorney-advisor Jennifer Mason, Esq. Missing is advisor Maggie Gregory and student Audessa Graef. (Submitted photo)

CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Bar Association is pleased to announce that Norwich High School has won the 2024 Chenango County Mock Trial Competition.

“This year, we were pleased to have five of our area high schools participate in the Mock Trial Program,” says local attorney Lisa Natoli.

“Students were presented with a hypothetical criminal arson case, which they had to formulate into presentation of both a prosecution and defense as attorneys and as witnesses. These trials were then judged by local attorneys and judges.”

The Chenango County Bar Association has administered the Mock Trial Program in

Chenango County since its’ inception by the New York State Bar Association in the 1980s.

Winners of the County tournament proceed to a Regional competition and then onto the

Statewide competition in May.

Norwich High School won the final round after four rounds of competition. The Second Place winner was Sherburne-Earlville High School; Third Place was Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton High School; Fourth Place was Greene High School; and Fifth Place was Oxford High School.

“We are appreciative of the partnership and support of each of the local school districts in participating in this valuable program. Mock trial affords a vast diversity of experiences to our youth, more than just learning about the legal system. It affords them an opportunity to collaborate with local professionals, develop confidence and public speaking skills, as well as exposing them to a mock professional experience,” says Natoli.

Tom Curnalia, President of the Chenango County Bar Association, adds that this program is not possible without the support of local judges and attorneys. “Local attorneys volunteer their personal time to work with each school, answering questions about process and guiding students in the proper handling of the case in an actual courtroom. Judges throughout our county legal system also volunteer both their time and their courtrooms for the students to present their mock cases and make decisions, as if the case is a real proceeding.”

The New York State High School Mock Trial Program is created and administered by the New York State Bar Association. Thousands of students participate in this valuable program throughout New York State each year.

Objectives of the tournament are to teach students ethics, civility, and professionalism; further students’ understanding of the law, court procedures and the legal system; improve proficiency in basic life skills, such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning; promote better communication and cooperation among the school community, teachers and students and members of the legal profession; and heighten appreciation for academic studies and stimulate interest in law-related careers.

More information about the New York State High School Mock Trial Program, as well as a copy of the 2024 problem presented to the students, is available at https://nysba.org/nys-mocktrial/.

For questions about the Chenango County program, contact Lisa Natoli, Esq., or Thomas Curnalia, Esq., at their local law offices.

– Information from the Chenango County Bar Association