The YMCA Mock Trial State Championship will be held in Tacoma on Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 24 at the County City Building, 930 Tacoma Avenue South, in downtown Tacoma. The State Championship will be in Tacoma for the first time since the event began in 1987. Previous State tournaments were held in Olympia.
The three-day event is the culmination of regional tournaments across the State with the 24 best teams competing for the honor of representing Washington State at the National High School Mock Trial Tournament on May 3-4 in Wilmington, Delaware.
“I’m thrilled we were able to bring the YMCA Mock Trial competition to Pierce County. It took a lot of work from a lot of members of the Pierce County community to make this happen. This event will benefit our legal community and our local businesses.” said Judge Lizanne Padula, the Tournament Convenor.
The YMCA Mock Trial Competition provides an opportunity for high school students to participate in true-to-life courtroom drama. This year’s contestants competed for over six months in regional tournaments across the State to qualify for the State Championship. Students will be on teams of “attorneys” and “witnesses” and appear before actual judges and attorneys in the County courtrooms. The program provides an opportunity for high school students to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, learn the art of oral advocacy, and gain a respect for the rule of law and the judiciary.
The tournament is free to attend and open to the public. Tournament hours are 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday, March 22; 8:30 a.m. -7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 23; and 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Sunday, March 24. Free parking is available in the lot off South 11th Avenue between Tacoma Avenue and Yakima Avenue.
The event is sponsored by Washington YMCA Youth & Government, Tacoma and Pierce County courts, the Pierce County Executive’s Office, the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and Pierce County Facilities.
