High school student attorneys have been raising serious legal questions this month in a virtual court. When a student in a fictional school district posted a photo on social media, was a lower court wrong to conclude that her school district hadn’t violated her First Amendment rights by suspending her and banning her from student government? Was there probable cause for authorities to cite the student for disorderly conduct for causing a disruption? These were among the questions students had to argue in the 2021 Sacramento County Moot Court Competition.
After extensive deliberation, a panel of judges hearing the fictional case (Hannah Cohn v. Placerado Unified School District, et al.) ruled last night that the attorneys for Mira Loma High School (Team 1) made the most convincing arguments, winning the 42nd annual Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Moot Court Competition. Mira Loma High School (Team 2) placed second.
Third District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Vance W. Raye, along with Justices Andrea L. Hoch and Ronald B. Robie, presided over the final round via video conference.
2021 Sacramento County Moot Court Competition Results
- 1st Place: Mira Loma High School (Team 1)
- 2nd Place: Mira Loma High School (Team 2)
- 3rd Place: Bella Vista High School (Team 2)
- 4th Place: Mira Loma High School (Team 5)
About Moot Court
The Moot Court Competition is an appellate-level proceeding in which high school students prepare and argue a case before a three-judge panel. Judges evaluate participants on the quality and persuasiveness of their legal reasoning and presentation, and their unscripted responses to spontaneous questions from the bench. The competition provides students the opportunity to learn about constitutional law and develop crucial public speaking and debate skills. A typical Moot Court team consists of three to six students.
- Sacramento County Moot Court Champions—historical list of winning teams
Moot Court is coordinated by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) in an effort to educate young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society.