2011 Diversity Pipeline Mock Trial

On March 5, 2011, nearly 50 volunteers and staff members came together at the CAS campus early on a foggy Saturday morning to inspire and educate youth from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds during our Middle/High School Mock Trial. In twelve years of hosting this event this is by far the largest group we’ve hosted, and our staff and volunteers rose to the challenge. This event is held as part of the DiscoverLaw.Org Months created by the Law School Admissions Council, and was an astounding success. The 110 TRiO participants had a great time!

In addition to youth outreach, the mock trial allows the law school to build ties to local organizations and attorneys and furthers Lewis & Clark’s name recognition in communities of color. A number of law firms and community organizations helped out by donating items for the “swag bags” for the students – those included Bullivant, Davis Wright, the Oregon State Bar, LexisNexis, Westlaw, Perkins Coie, ID Experts, and Advanced Legal Services.

All of the students in attendance reported having a great time, and even raved about how much they learned. When asked to sum up their mock trial experience, over 100 students ranging in age from 6th to 10th grade reported that they found this event “Amazing,” “Awesome,” “Educational,” and of course, “Fun!”

Here is what a couple of students had to say:

6th grader: “I loved this field trip and I’m happy I participated because I used to think that being an attorney wasn’t the right job for me, but after today, it was the best experience I ever had!”

9th grader: “I think this was fun. At first I wasn’t sure about it I thought it would be boring, but as we got into the groups, I learned a lot and had fun. It got me thinking about what I want to be. Thank you for the experience :)”

If you would like further information on this event or the mission of the DiscoverLaw.Org months, or if you would like to get more involved, please contact Heather McCambly at (503) 768-6938 or hmccambly@lclark.edu.