Members of the White Station Team from Memphis celebrate after being awarded the 2010 championship trophy in the 30th Annual Tennessee Bar Association YLD State High School Mock Trial Competition. Fifth from the left (front row) is Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice Holder, who presided over the championship match. Photo by Stacey Shrader

NASHVILLE, March 24, 2010 — White Station High School of Memphis claimed the state high school mock trial championship title this past Saturday, defeating St. Mary's Episcopal School, also of Memphis, in the 30th annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition. It was White Station's second win in two years. The team now will represent Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Philadelphia May 5-9.

The two-day state competition, which took place Friday and Saturday, involved 14 teams and 200 volunteers, including lawyers, law students and paralegals. Nearly 20 sitting judges in the state presided over the trial rounds at the Metro Davidson County Courthouse in downtown Nashville. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice Holder presided over the championship match Saturday evening.

The teams put their skills to the test arguing the case of Advanced Distribution, LLC v. R.M. Construction, LLC - a fictitious civil case developed by the TBA's Young Lawyers Division, which involved a dispute over design and construction of a 400,000-square-foot distribution center featuring a concrete slab-on-grade floor. The central issue at stake was whether the work performed constituted a breach of contract and professional negligence. To reach the state competition, each team had to win its respective district competition last month.

Final Rankings

1. White Station High School, Memphis
Attorney Coach: Eugene “Buddy” Bernstein, Bernstein
Law Office

2. St. Mary's Episcopal School
Attorney Coach: Jennifer Nichols, District Attorney's Office

3. Brentwood High School, Brentwood
Attorney Coach: NA

4. David Lipscomb High School, Nashville
Attorney Coaches: Michael Hoskins; Zale Dowlen, Dowlen Law Firm

5. Springfield High School
Attorney Coach: Lisa Richter, 19th Judicial District Child Support Referee

6. Chattanooga SE Tenn. Home Education Association, Chattanooga
Attorney Coaches: Jeff Atherton, Burnette, Dobson &
Pinchak; Scott Maucere, Maucere Law Group

7. Hume Fogg Academic High School, Nashville
Attorney Coaches: Ken King, Hume Fogg; Mike Engle,
Public Defender's Office

8. South Greene High School, Greeneville
Attorney Coach: Guy Blackwell, U.S. Attorney's Office

9. Jefferson County High School, Dandridge
Attorney Coach: NA

10. Dyersburg High School, Dyersburg
Attorney Coach: Jeff Lay, Jones, Hamilton & Lay

11. Knoxville Catholic High School, Knoxville
Attorney Coach: Joan Clevenger

12. Tullahoma High School, Tullahoma
Attorney Coach: Bill Rieder, Haynes Hull Rieder Ewell & Ridner

13. McCallie School, Chattanooga
Attorney Coach: Alicia Oliver, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel

14. Warren County High School, McMinnville
Attorney Coach: Tom Miner, Office of the District Attorney
 

Team Most Valuable Players

Brentwood High School - Keith Edwards
Chattanooga SE Tennessee Home Education Association - Vivian Hughbanks
David Lipscomb High School - Blake Stockard
Dyersburg High School - Jackson Lay

Hume-Fogg Academic High School - Alex Howard

Jefferson County High School - Tadd Minton
Knoxville Catholic HIgh School - Tori Proctor
McCallie School - Christian Talley
St. Mary’s Episcopal School - Sri Pulusani
South Greene High School - Jordan Tipton
Springfield High School - Jarrett Rausch

Tullahoma High School - Lisa Dicker
Warren County High School - Zach Younglove
White Station High School - Sonya Khattak
 

Participating Judges

The high school mock trial competition would not be possible without the support of the Tennessee judiciary. The following judges served as presiding judges during one or more of the competition's trial rounds:

Judge Jon K. Blackwood, Senior Judge, Knoxville
Judge M. Quinn Brandon, Municipal Court of Petersburg
Judge Joe Brown, U.S. Magistrate for the Middle District of Tennessee
Chancellor William C. Cole, 25th Judicial District Chancery Court
Judge Paul B. Conley III, Crockett County General Sessions Court
Judge Jayne Crowley, Meigs County General Sessions Court
Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton, Davidson County General Sessions Court
Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., 30th Judicial District Criminal Court
Chief Justice Janice M. Holder, Tennessee Supreme Court
Judge Scott Lovelace, Municipal Court of Gates
Judge Betty T. Moore, Shelby County General Sessions Court
Chancellor Michael W. Moyers, 6th Judicial District Chancery Court
Chancellor Russell T. Perkins, 20th Judicial District Chancery Court
Judge W. Neil Thomas III, 11th Judicial District Circuit Court
Judge Thomas A. Varlan, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
Judge Terry L. Wood, Municipal Court of Adamsville
Judge Andy Wright, Municipal Court of Mt. Juliet

Mock Trial Committee

Chair
Marisa Lee Combs, Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop PC, Nashville
 

Vice Chair
Troy Weston, Eldridge & Blakney PC, Knoxville

Committee Members

Candi Henry, Dodson, Parker, Behm & Capparella PC, Nashville

Jordan Keller, Lassiter, Tidwell, Davis, Keller & Hogan PLLC, Nashville

Adam Knight, Dickinson Wright PLLC, Nashville

T.D. Ruth, Lassiter, Tidwell, Davis, Keller & Hogan PLLC, Nashville

Colleen Sweeney, Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LLP, Nashville

David G. Thompson, Neal & Harwell PLC, Nashville