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Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition
The Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition was founded by The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) in 1979 and is BAMSL's most established program. The program is supported by the Saint Louis Bar Foundation and the Missouri Lawyer Trust Account Foundation.
As BAMSL's only statewide Law-Related Education program, the Missouri High School Mock Trial Competition serves over 500 students from more than 40 schools throughout Missouri and is supported by 400 attorneys who volunteer as coaches, judges, and evaluators. The mock trials are structured like real courtroom trials and follow the same rules and procedures, so students learn first-hand how the legal system works and what role judges, lawyers, juries, and witnesses play in the court system. This increased understanding helps students develop a deeper appreciation for our justice system and the administration of justice. The competition also helps students develop and improve their public speaking and critical thinking skills.
Learn more at www.momocktrial.org.
We The Students
"We the Students" is designed to educate students of their basic rights and empower young people to be pro-active rather than reactive. Heavy participation from the students allows students to separate fact from fiction and discuss perception versus reality involving the judicial system and law enforcement. Involving attorneys is an aid to illustrate the logic of law and describe what lawyers do while allowing interaction and lively and free discussions from the students. For more information, contact Dan Barnett at dbarnett@bamsl.org.
Read Across America
Read Across America is an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association. One part of the project is National Read Across America Day held annually on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Each year dozens of BAMSL members volunteer to read Dr. Seuss books to St. Louis grade school students. For more information, contact Dan Barnett at dbarnett@bamsl.org.
Law Day Activities
Law Day, U.S.A. is celebrated each year on May 1. BAMSL and its Young Lawyers Division sponsor a host of Law Day programs and activities. Lawyers, judges, and other representatives of the legal profession are available to give school presentations on or around Law Day. By volunteering their time, they give students a memorable opportunity to learn about the law in action. Not only can they share with them their personal experiences, but they can convey how law and the legal system protect our freedoms. To set up a Law Day activity, contact Dan Barnett at dbarnett@bamsl.org.
Speaker's Bureau
BAMSL's Speaker's Bureau Program consists of volunteer members who agree to participate in BAMSL’s community outreach to schools, businesses, media, and other civic organizations requesting legal expertise. Attorneys volunteer to attend a classroom, meeting, or event and discuss a specified topic. All attorneys volunteer their time; therefore, the program is free of charge.
Please contact Dan Barnett at dbarnett@bamsl.org for more information.
Student Internships
BAMSL was influential in founding the St. Louis Internship Program (SLIP) in 1992. SLIP offers internship opportunities for young women and men in their sophomore or junior year of high school who exhibit a willingness to learn, adaptability to changing business practices, presentation of communication skills, exhibition of initiative and an understanding of business etiquette. For more information, visit the St. Louis Internship Program website.
