November CBA Report

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practice/interest groups For more information about becoming involved in a CBA group or committee,
contact Membership at (513) 699-1406 or
Be a Part of Mock Trial
By David Boyles and Jon Kelly
Nominating
Committee Solicits
Recommendations
for the CBA Board
of Trustees
The CBA’s Nominating Committee is
soliciting recommendations for a general
trustee position to fill an unexpired term
of January 24, 2018 – April 30, 2019.
Send nominations to
All nominations must be
received by November 30.
For questions, please contact Nomi-
nating Committee chair, Doug Dennis at
.
Give Your Career
a Voice
November 1
Cincinnati Bar Association
5th Floor
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Register at
Join us for an important discussion on communicating expectations.
What happens when a person accused
of the murder of his high school girlfriend
ends up being convicted after being repre-
sented by an overworked attorney? This
year’s high school Mock Trial competi-
tion involves a petition for post-conviction
relief based on ineffective assistance of
counsel. As high school students across
the greater Cincinnati area are preparing
to compete in this competition, we need
the help of our legal community to provide
guidance, feedback, and perspective.
The Cincinnati Bar Association’s
Young Lawyers section is looking for
more than 100 volunteer lawyers for
the 2017 Mock Trial Competition. As a
volunteer, local lawyers give back to the
community by sharing knowledge and
enthusiasm for the practice of law. Your
assistance is critical to the success of this
program.
For more than 30 years, this program
has given students a practical introduction
to the justice system, the Constitution,
and the intricacies of the legal process by
giving them the opportunity to partic-
ipate in mock trials as either lawyers or
witnesses. Students will present opening
statements, cross-examine, and experi-
ence cross-examination, among other
things, in the hour-long simulated trial.
This year, the Cincinnati Bar Associa-
tion will host both a district and a regional
competition. For this to be successful,
volunteer attorneys are needed to preside
as judges over each round of competition.
During the trial, judges will observe and
grade the performances of the students,
as well as provide feedback to each of the
participants. The level of dedication and
performance by the students is always
impressive. The students appreciate the
participation and thoughts of local attor-
neys, and hopefully will be inspired by the
experiences. You can be a part of this.
The program is sponsored locally by
the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Young
Lawyers Section and fully endowed by the
Cincinnati Bar Foundation. More than
350 students from approximately 22 area
high schools participate each year. We
encourage each of you to take this oppor-
tunity to be involved and support local
students s they experience a glimpse into
the practice of law.
This year, the district competition will
take place on Jan. 26, 2018 with the first
round beginning at 1 p.m. and the second
round at 4:30 p.m. The regional competi-
tion will be on Feb. 16, 2018. Times will be
announced soon.
If you are interested in volunteering as
a judge, please contact Jamie Shiverdecker
at the Cincinnati Bar Association at (513)
699-4013 or email her at
For more information on the 2018
case, please visit the Ohio Center for Law
Related Education’s website at http://www.
mocktrial. If you have enjoyed judging
in the past or wish to become even more
engaged with a high school Mock Trial
team, consider becoming a legal advisor.
Please contact the Ohio Center for Law
Related Education at for
more information.
We hope you’ll join us!
Boyles is an attorney at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP and
Kelly serves as a law clerk to Hon. Judge Robert P.
Ruehlman. They are the 2017-2018 co-chairs for the
Mock Trial competition.
24 l November 2017 CBA REPORT