COLUMBUS (April 28, 2025) - The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) will host its annual high school Moot Court Competition at the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center in Columbus on Friday, May 2. Students will take on the role of appellate attorneys and argue both sides of an original case.
Students representing the following schools from across the state will participate: Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School (Cuyahoga County), Belpre High School (Washington County), Danville High School (Knox County), Kings High School (Warren County), Little Miami High School (Warren County), Mason High School (Warren County), Reading Community High School (Hamilton County), Saint Ignatius High School (Cuyahoga County), Springfield High School (Clark County), Talawanda High School (Butler County), Upper Arlington High School (Franklin County) and Zanesville High School (Muskingum County).
Each year, OCLRE volunteers create a new case based on issues of constitutional or statutory law. This year, students will consider the impact of a claim of self-defense when the injured party is an innocent bystander. The case centers on fictitious Tiberius “Ty” Bonaparte and an interaction with another student from his school. In what he alleges was an act of self-defense, Ty threw a shuriken at his “assailant” but missed and unintentionally hit Tina, his crush. Students will consider whether Ty’s intent to defend himself against his assailant was reasonable and whether it should transfer to their unintentional injuring of a third party.
Moot Court teams compete in legal brief-writing and oral argument rounds to persuade a simulated Supreme Court how the case should be decided. The championship round of the competition will be broadcast on The Ohio Channel’s website.
The Honorable Judge Eric Brown will preside over the championship round of competition. Fellow panelists include Nikki Baszynski, Esq., The Wren Collective; Tiffany Carwile, Esq., Arnold & Clifford; Michael Hendershot, Esq., Chief Deputy Solicitor General, Ohio Attorney General's Office; and Ben Tracy, Esq., Appellate Attorney, Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to improve society by developing citizens empowered with an understanding of our democratic system. OCLRE is sponsored by the Supreme Court of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ohio State Bar Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation. The Moot Court program is additionally funded by a grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation. For more information, visit www.oclre.org.
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