Students from Eden Christian Academy won the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (PBA/YLD) Mock Trial Competition for Region 1 (Allegheny County), advancing the team to the State Championship, to be held in Harrisburg on March 29-30. The students are coached by Aubrey Smith, an associate at Dingess, Foster, Luciana, Davidson and Chleboski LLP (DFL Legal), who competed as a member of the school’s first mock trial team in 2007.

One of the largest in the nation, the PBA/YLD Mock Trial Competition provides high school students from across the state with the opportunity to act as lawyers and witnesses in simulated civil and criminal trials before actual judges and jury panels.

Eden’s mock trial team was undefeated in the Region 1 (Allegheny County) competition and is one of the top 14 teams of over 300 participating in Pennsylvania that will compete for the state title.

Aubrey Smith has served as head coach for Eden for five years and has led the team to the State Championships on four occasions. She was instrumental in establishing Eden’s program during her time at the school in the 2007.

The winner of the State Championship will represent Pennsylvania and compete in the national competition in Athens, Georgia in May. Eden has gone to the State Championship competition six times since 2007.

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