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McCallie School Bests Chattanooga Rival for State Title
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Members of the McCallie School Team from Chattanooga celebrate after being awarded the 2012 championship trophy in the 32nd Annual Tennessee Bar Association YLD State High School Mock Trial Competition. Photo by Stacey Shrader |
NASHVILLE, March 19, 2012 — McCallie School of Chattanooga claimed the state high school mock trial championship title this past Saturday, defeating rival school Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Home Education Association, in the 32nd annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition. The team now will represent Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Albuquerque, N.M., on May 3-6.
The two-day state competition, which took place Friday and Saturday, involved 13 teams and 200 volunteers, including lawyers, law students and paralegals. In addition, sitting judges in the state presided over the trial rounds at the Metro Davidson County Courthouse in downtown Nashville. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade presided over the championship match Saturday evening.
The teams put their skills to the test arguing the fictitious case of Mid-South Insurance Liability Company, Inc. v. Denim N’More, Inc. – a civil case involving a struggling textile manufacturing business that is destroyed in a late night fire. Allegations of arson lead the insurer to deny any claims, while the owner denies any knowledge of or involvement in the incident. As always, the case involved its share of characters, including a secretary making $8,300 a month and a disgruntled employee who moonlights as a speed metal-bluegrass fusion musician, as well as a few clever “red herrings.”
It was McCallie’s second year in a row to compete in the championship round. It lost to White Station High School of Memphis last year. To reach the state competition, each team had to win its respective district competition held throughout February.
All photos by Marisa Combs unless otherwise noted.
Top 10 Teams
1. McCallie School, Chattanooga
Attorney Coach: Alicia Oliver, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel
2. Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Home Education Association
Attorney Coaches: Hamilton County Chancellor Jeff Atherton;
Scott Maucere, Maucere Law Group (Photo by Stacey Shrader)
3. St. Mary's Episcopal School, Memphis
Attorney Coach: Lorrie K. Ridder, Ridder Hurd PLLC
4. Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association
Attorney Coach: David A. Greene
5. St. George's Independent School, Memphis
Attorney Coaches: Lisa Lichterman Leach and Kimberly Brown-
Gibbs, Littler Mendelson PC; Alison Wetter
6. Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville
Attorney Coach: Wade B. Cowan, Davies, Humphreys, Horton &
Reese PLC
7. Ravenwood High School, Brentwood
Attorney Coach: Ben Rose, Cornelius & Collins LLP
8. Beech High School
Attorney Coaches: Thomas Dean, 18th Judicial District
Attorney’s Office; Ne'Keisha “Kee” McCormick, James A.
Freeman & Associates; Lindsey Ralston, Downard & Associates
9. Harpeth Hall, Nashville
Attorney Coaches: Caldwell Collings and Lori Metrock, Baker
Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz; Megan Sutton
10. Dyersburg High School, Dyersburg
Attorney Coach: Jeff Lay, Jones, Hamilton & Lay
Team Sportsmanship Award
St. Mary's Episcopal School of Memphis took the Team
Sportsmanship Award this year, based on the votes of the
other teams and the presiding judges.
Individual Awards
Best Advocate for the Plaintiff |
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Miles Malbrough with Beech High School was named the competition's Best Advocate for the Plaintiff. |
Bhavya Jha with St. Mary's Episcopal School took second place in the Best Advocate for the Plaintiffcategory. |
Christian Talley with the McCallie School took third place in the Best Advocate for the Plaintiff category. |
Best Advocate for the Defense |
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Jackson Lay with Dyersburg High School was named Best Advocate for the Defense. |
Elizabeth Salsbury with Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association (right) and Christian Talley with the McCallie School (left) tied for second place in the Best Advocate for the Defense category. |
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Best Witness for the Plaintiff |
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Sarah Vaughn with St. George's Independent School was named Best Witness for the Plaintiff. |
Joey Harter with Ravenwood High School in Brentwood took second place in the Best Witness for the Plaintiff category. |
Grace Gerlock with Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association took third place in the Best Witness for the Plaintiff category. |
Best Witness for the Defense |
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Eden Holmes with Ravenwood High School in Brentwood was named Best Witness for the Defense. |
Mackenzie Warhurst with Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association took second place in the Best Witness for the Defense category. |
Conner White with Columbia Academy in Columbia took third place in the Best Witness for the Defense category. |
Team Most Valuable Players (MVPs) |
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Caroline Yon, Beech High School |
Vivian Hughbanks, Chattanooga Southeast Tennessee Home Education Association |
Shekina Baum, Columbia Academy |
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Sean Stapleton, Dyersburg High School |
Anna Russell Thornton, Harpeth Hall |
Abbigail Stidham, Jefferson County High School |
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Jonathan DeTroye, Kingsport Area Christian Home Education Association |
Daniel Caballero, McCallie School |
Will Stewart, Montgomery Bell Academy |
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Ross Hildabrand, Ravenwood High School |
Tara Schulz, St. George's Independent School |
Amritha Kanakamedela, St. Mary’s Episcopal School |
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Blaine Coyle, West High School |
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