Local High Schools to Compete
White Plains, NY -- Once again, local high school students will be putting on their legal advocacy hats Tuesday and Wednesday, November 16 and 17, to compete in the Fourth Annual Moot Court Competition sponsored by the Westchester County Human Rights Commission.
Each year more schools and teams have joined the competition. Teams from 12 schools have received the facts of a case, researched the applicable laws and prepared written briefs, and will now step into a real courtroom to argue their case before real judges and attorneys.
Delores Scott Brathwaite, the commission’s executive director, noted that the competition was started four years ago as a testimonial to the late Donald N. Silverman, who was not only an outstanding judge on the Supreme Court, but also served as the chair of the Human Rights Commission Board for several years prior to his illness and untimely death.
“The competition grew from one day to two days, and from 7 high schools to 12 high schools and 30 teams,” Brathwaite said. “It is wonderful to see so many young students excited and inspired by the law. They take this all very seriously and perform as professionally as many attorneys. Their enthusiasm is infectious and we are so pleased to be able to be a part of their education.”
Participating schools this year include Ardsley, Harrison, Hendrick Hudson, Lakeland, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ramapo, White Plains, Thornton, Woodlands and Byram Hills. Some of the schools are bringing more than one team.
Brathwaite further noted that the commission is also pleased with the number of judges and attorneys who have taken the time from their busy schedules to participate in the competition.
The opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday at 8:30 am at the Supreme Court, Room 200, where government officials and others will be on hand to welcome the students, give them words of encouragement and open the competition.
The first rounds of the competition begin at 9:15 am and the semi-finals and finals will be held on Wednesday beginning at 9:15 am.
In the competition, the schools will argue against each other and the winning school teams and the best oral advocate will receive awards. The winners will be honored and acknowledged at the commission’s Annual Human Rights Day celebration on Friday, December 10 at the Westchester Marriott.
The Donald N. Silverman Moot Court Competition is also supported and sponsored by the Pace University School of Law Moot Court Board, the Westchester County Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association and the Westchester Black Bar Association.
For more information, call the Human Rights Commission at (914) 995-7710.
Members of the public are welcome to attend. The Courthouse is located at 111 Martin Luther King Blvd., White Plains.
