The Center for Youth Citizenship (CYC) is gearing up for the Twenty-Fifth Annual Gordon D. Schaber Mock Trial and Moot Court Competition. The festivities will take place January 27, 29 and 31, 2004 at the Sacramento County Courthouse. CYC, the coordinator of the event, is working daily to bring the event to high school students from Sacramento, Nevada, Yolo, Placer, and El Dorado Counties, and it needs your help.

The 2003 victorious moot court team from Kennedy High School.

Attorney Coaches are needed to assist Teacher Coaches and their teams in preparing their arguments for the Mock Trial or Moot Court competitions. Each Attorney Coach will share his or her legal expertise with the students by volunteering a total of approximately 25 hours between October and January.

Scoring Judges are also needed to determine how effectively the teams have prepared their arguments and how well teams present their case. Scoring Judges are needed for a total of approximately two to eight hours during the week of January 27-31, 2004.

The 2003 mock trial team from Rio Americano High School posed with Tac Craven of the CYC, McGeorge Law School Dean Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker and James Greiner.

The competition offers an exciting experience that will help students learn how to work as a team, organize their thoughts, and develop critical thinking, public speaking, leadership, and problem solving skills. As always, the staff of the CYC is looking forward to an exhilarating competition.

CYC has appreciated the past support and contributions of the legal community in bringing this valuable program to area high schools. In 2003-2004, growing interest among students along with increased materials and participation fess make the legal community’s continued participation essential!

The program is an exemplary outreach model for the legal community and leadership is needed from lawyers and judges to provide the next generation of citizens with knowledge of the American legal system and our democratic traditions.

The Center for Youth Citizenship is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1984. For additional information regarding the program, visit www.youthcitizenship.org, call (916) 228-2322 or email cyc@scoe.net.