January 29, 2008

Franklin High School will move into uncharted territory when they compete for the Sacramento County championship at the Gordon D. Schaber Moot Court Finals on Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.

Franklin – ranked second out of 10 teams – will take on Bella Vista High School in the championship round at the United States Court of Appeals (9th Street and N Street).  Franklin defeated Mira Loma High School in the semifinals on the way to the championship.

“We are extremely proud of our Moot Court team,” said Charlotte Phinizy, principal at Franklin.  “These students have devoted many hours to preparing for this event.  It’s wonderful to see that they have earned the opportunity to compete in the championship.  I greatly appreciate our teacher advisor Margaret Karl and attorney coach Perry Israel for the numerous hours they volunteer to help the students prepare their arguments.”

In a moot court competition, students prepare and argue an appellate level case before a panel of three judges that evaluate the students on the quality and persuasiveness of their legal reasoning and presentation, as well as their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench.

The final winner will be announced at a reception and awards ceremony on Thursday, February 7, 2008.

All high schools throughout the Sacramento region are invited to participate in the GDS Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions.  Each year, close to 500 students from more than 25 high schools compete. 

The program is organized by the Center for Youth Leadership and partners with the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento; California Court of Appeals, Third Appellate District; U.S. District Court and U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California; Sacramento County Office of Education and area districts and schools; Sacramento County Bar Association/Law Foundation; area firms and legal organizations; and legal professional volunteers from throughout the greater Sacramento region.

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