NEWS FROM THE IOWA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION
625 East Court, Des Moines, IA 50309
Contact:Alternate Contact
Steve Boeckman, Communications Director John Wheeler, Director
Telephone: 515-697-7869; Cell: 515-490-2279Center for Law & Civic Education
E-mail: elephone: 515-697-7882
E-mail:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 20, 2013
Urbandale Middle School wins state championship in Middle School Mock Trial tournament
A team of mostly eighth graders from Urbandale Middle School captured the championship in the 2013 Middle School Mock Trial State Tournament on Nov. 20.
Team “The S.U.I.T.S.”as the members called themselves, defeated a team of mostly eighth graders from Assumption Catholic School in Granger to take the top honors. Earlier in the day, the team defeated a Johnston Middle School team in the semi final round to make it to the finals. Assumption also defeated a Johnston team to make it to the final round.
This is the first time since 2004 that an Urbandale Middle School team has won the state competition, which is sponsored by The Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division through the association’s Center for Law and Civic Education.
The 2013 championship round was held in the Iowa Supreme Court courtroom in the judicial branch building. Supreme Court Justice Brent Appel presided over the trial. He was assisted by scoring judges, Emily Chafa, Ian Russell and Jennifer Zahradnik.
The remaining teams in the top 10, excluding the semi finalists, were: Regis 7th Grade in fifth, Pocahontas Area Middle School 8th Grade in sixth, John F. Kennedy Catholic School in seventh, Regis 8th Grade Red in eighth, St. Theresa Mean Green Machine in ninth, Harlan Middle School in tenth, Carroll Middle School in eleventh and Merrill/Cowles School in twelfth.
In addition to the mock trial competition, teams are evaluated by their peers on sportsmanship, civility, courtroom decorum and professionalism. The top vote-getters receive the Critelli award awarded in honor of the late Judge Anthony Critelli. This year’s recipients were: Assumption Catholic, Johnston Team Dragon, Merrill Middle School Blue and WilliamsburgJunior High School.
The Iowa State Bar Association is a voluntary organization of more than 8,000 lawyers and judges who are licensed to practice law in the state of Iowa. Oldest of the voluntary bar associations in the country, The ISBA has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1874.
###