On December 9 and 10, ten teams from around the state of Nebraska competed in Omaha, NE to win Nebraska High School State Mock Trial. The Hruska Federal Courthouse was a great space for Nebraska High School Mock Trial Championships.
There are ten regions in the state and the teams representing were:
Region 1: Gering High School
Region 2: Perkins
Region 3: Dundy County Stratton
Region 4: Ainsworth
Region 5: Gibbon High School
Region 6: Wayne
Region 7: York High School
Region 8: Pius
Region 9: HTRS
Region 10: Duchesne
Each school participated in three trials over the course of two days. Schools are either plaintiff or the defense in a case that is written by a group of Nebraska attorneys and a former judge. The Case Committee researches and authors an original case each year.
Five students competed in the 2024 Reporter Contest, most of whom were members of their school’s alternate team. One served as a team photographer. The schools represented were Wayne, Ainsworth, York, Gering, and Perkins High Schools.
The student reporters observed their schools' morning mock trial sessions and later met for a mentoring session with recently appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge Ryan Carson (left side of table), as well as media mentors Mike McKnight (left side of table), a WOWT news reporter and college news mentor, and Aaron Sanderford (left side of table next to Carson), the newly named editor of the Nebraska Examiner.
Thank you to all the mock trial volunteers; we greatly appreciate the law community around our state.
One of our favorite moments from Nebraska State High School Mock Trial was our senior photo! We are graduating 39 seniors this year. Congratulations to all the Mock Trial seniors!
On Monday evening, students attended a Mock Trial Banquet and were recognized for their hard work during the season. One of the highlights of the Banquet is the Mock Trial Trivia Contest. It is highly competitive and the winners get the very coveted post-its cubes (almost worth their weight in gold)!
The championship round was between Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart and Perkins High School. Duchesne Academy won and will be representing Nebraska in Phoenix at Nationals in the spring of 2025.
