Following five in-person and one virtual orientations for 140 volunteer Legal Mentors and Teacher Coordinators, Discovering Justice is excited to be ringing in its 24th year of its Mock Trial Program. With 35 teams, this is the largest set of teams yet, with more than 400 student attorneys being trained from Pittsfield to New Bedford. 

In addition to returning partners that have been with the program for over a decade, we are excited to welcome first-time schools and partners (in bold below).

Thanks go out to our dedicated Mock Trial partners Brockton Public Schools, Committee for Public Counsel Services Worcester, Lowell Public Schools, Jones Day, and Springfield Public Schools who hosted the orientations for Legal Mentors and Teacher Coordinators. More than 150 folks came together with fellow participants in their cities to learn and connect to plan for this semester’s case. Pivoting from the virtual orientations that were introduced at the outset of COVID, these collaborative planning sessions provided teams with the opportunity to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and address the program’s unique needs in each city. In Brockton, District Court Judge Michelle Fentress and in Springfield, U.S District Court Judge Katherine Robertson joined the orientations to speak about their love for the program and the community impact they’ve witnessed over the years.

With the Program well underway, Community Partnership Manager Malia Brooks is making plans for Federal and State judges to visit the teams midway through the program. At this session midway through the Program, students will have the opportunity to learn about the role of a judge and meet with them in a more casual setting prior to their trial date in December.

As part of the Mock Trial final events the weeks of December 11th and 18th, we invite family, caregivers, colleagues, and community members to fill the jury box. If you are interested in volunteering for this fun and engaging 2-hour event, please contact Community Partnerships Manager Malia Brooks at mbrooks@discoveringjustice.org.

Discovering Justice Fall 2023 Mock Trial Teams

Boston

• Blackstone Elementary / Mintz – Lawyers for Civil Rights
• Boston Latin Academy / U.S Attorney’s Office
• Boston Latin School / City of Boston Legal Department
• Brooke Charter School East Boston / Vertex
• Ellis K-6 School / DLA Piper
• Hernández K-8 School / WilmerHale
• Mildred Ave K-8 School / GE – JonesDay
• St. John School / Goodwin – Boston University School of Law

Brookline

• Florida Ruffin Ridley School / Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
• Runkle School / Attys. Jonathan Simpson, Joshua Dupuy, Patty Correa, & Susan Howards

Cambridge

• Rindge Avenue Upper Campus (RAUC) / Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Medford

• Medford Public Schools / Atty. Kathleen Maloney
• St. Raphael Parish School / Attys. Elise Kopley & Mark Rumley

Waltham

• McDevitt Middle School / Morse, The Law Office of Kevin M. Dwyer, Jr. & Pyle Rome Ehrenberg PC

Framingham

• Cameron Middle School / Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Dell, & Atty. Joe Shields

Brockton

• North Middle School / Plymouth County Bar Association, Atty. Keith Durden
• East Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Brockton Children and Family Law Office
• South Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Brockton
• West Middle School / Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office 

Lowell

• Daley Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services – Lowell
• Robinson Middle School / Middlesex District Attorney’s Office 
• Stoklosa Middle School / Freitas & Freitas LLP
• Sullivan Middle School /Attys. Karen Sheehan, Atty. Jomarie Buckley, & Atty. Ryan Sullivan

New Bedford

• Normandin Middle School / UMass Law School

Pittsfield

• Reid Middle School / Atty. Jennifer Carpenter, Atty. Miriam Maduro, & Atty. Ryan Cummins

Providence

• Nathan Bishop Middle School / U.S Attorney’s Office Rhode Island 

Springfield

• • Duggan Academy / MassMutual & Western New England School of Law 
  • Renaissance School / Committee for Public Counsel Services Springfield Youth Advocacy Division 
  • South End Middle School / Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Western Mass
  • STEM Middle School / Hampden County Lawyers for Justice
• Roger L. Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy

West Springfield

• West Springfield Middle School / Central West Justice Center

South Hadley

• Pioneer Valley Performing Arts / Bulkley Richardson

Worcester

• Forest Grove Middle School / Committee for Public Counsel Services, Worcester
• Sullivan Middle School / Worcester County Bar Association