A group of local high school students celebrated a big win after five years of work in their mock courtroom.

Baldwin High School’s 14 mock trial students, in grades nine through 12, placed second in the final round of the Regional Mock Trial Competition Saturday in Macon against seven other teams. Teacher coaches, Iris McRee and Teresa Phillips, worked diligently with the students to prepare them for the final round against their rivals, Central High School.

“This is the first time in five years we made it in the final round,” McRee said. “They were a very young team and they worked hard.”

Since 1988, more than 1,200 teams from the state’s public and private schools have participated in the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition, states the Georgia Bar Web site. Teams of 14 students are coached by volunteer attorneys and teachers to work together to prepare their presentations from case materials provided by the High School Mock Trial Committee. Case writers created a streamlined criminal problem for teams to work through for this year’s Georgia mock trial season.

The case provided a unique challenge for the teams, allowing each team to bring their best performance to every level of the competition.

The criminal case was about a defendant who was accused of aggravated assault against a classmate. The prosecution claimed that the defendant carefully planned the alleged attack on the classmate, but the defendant claimed the classmate was a bully who was pushed to the limit the evening of the graduation party.

“Students actually have to plan the case because there is no script involved,” McRee said. “They prepare the case just like an attorney would. They come up with their own opening statements, closing statements and cross examinations of the witnesses.”

While visiting local courtrooms, members of the legal community take part in the mock trial to help bridge the gap between the simulated activity and reality. In the competition phase, students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses based on the evidence and witness statements. Professional attorneys, David McRee, Stephen Bradley and Devlin Cooper, served as the presiding judges and evaluators of the students abilities to make logical, cohesive and persuasive presentations, rather than on the legal merits of the case.

Though education of young people is the primary goal of mock trials, McRee said the program helps students understand and appreciate the law, court procedures and the legal system.

“[Mock trial] is designed to increase students’ understanding of the law; it teaches them excellent public speaking skills; it teaches them pose; and teaches them to think quickly on their feet,” she said.

Baldwin High senior Coressa Brown, awarded for four-year mock trial participation, and third-year member Kati McGill, both took home two outstanding attorney awards each.

“Initially, I’ve always wanted to be an attorney and mock trials really helped me to be comfortable in speaking,” Brown said. “[I want to attend] Emory University, and they have mock trials. This has really prepared me for it.”

McGill plans to participate next year, and she encourages her peers to get involved with mock trials in order to boost their knowledge and speaking skills.

“I want to go into the science field of study. Mock trials really prepares you, no matter what field you’re involved in,” she said.

Sponsored by the Georgia Bar Association, the 2010 State Finals Competition will be held March 13 and 14 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville where regional winners will compete for the state title and a chance to advance to the National High School Mock Trial Championship.

For more information about Georgia Mock Trial Competitions, visit the Georgia Bar Web site at www.gabar.org.