Page 21 - NovemberDecember24 Report

Cincinnati Bar
Cincinnati Bar
YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION F O U N D AT I O N
AI Invades
2025 Mock Trial
In the 2025 Ohio Mock Trial compe-
tition case, students will examine the
intersection of the First Amendment,
defamation, and the rise of generative arti-
ficial intelligence. Specifically, this case
looks at what happens when the public
interest in parody and political commen-
tary bumps against the new capabilities for
realistic deepfakes in a political campaign.
A local city council candidate has
appeared in an AI deepfake video created
by a high school student, showing the
candidate making jokes and comments
that they never made. Many people in
town believe the video is real, and compet-
itors must argue whether the court should
grant the candidate’s injunction, prelimi-
nary to a defamation lawsuit, to have the
video taken down.
As high school students from the
greater Cincinnati area prepare to argue
this case problem, we need the help of our
amazing CBA colleagues to provide guid-
ance, feedback, and perspective.
Help us Make Mock Trial
a Success
We are excited to be hosting this year’s
competition at the Hamilton County
Courthouse! The Cincinnati Bar Associ-
ation’s Young Lawyers Section is looking
for 60+ volunteer lawyers for the 2025
Mock Trial Competition. Local attorneys
give back to the community by sharing
knowledge and enthusiasm for the prac-
tice of law as volunteer judges in
the competition. Whether you are a
seasoned volunteer or have no experi-
ence with the Mock Trial competition,
your assistance is critical to the success of
the program.
For more than 30 years, this program
has given students a practical introduction
to the justice system, the Constitution,
This year, the district competition
will take place on
Friday, January 17th, 2025,
with rounds at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The regional competition will follow on
Friday, February 7th, 2025,
with rounds at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
If you are interested in volunteering as
a judge, please contact Ethan Barnes
at the Cincinnati Bar Association at
ebarnes@cincybar.org.
and the legal process by providing the
opportunity to participate in mock trials
as either lawyers or witnesses. Over the
course of the simulated trial students
present opening statements, cross-ex-
amine, are cross-examined, and more.
More than 350 students from approx-
imately 22 area high schools participate
each year. For this to be successful,
volunteer attorneys are vital to preside as
By Jacob Harrod and Cecelia Tió
judges over both rounds of competition.
During the trial judges observe, grade,
and provide feedback on the performances
of the students. The level of dedication
and enthusiasm by the students is always
impressive. Students truly appreciate the
participation and thoughts of local attor-
neys. You can be a part of this exciting
opportunity to impact local high school
students.
The Cincinnati Bar Association will
host the district and regional competi-
tions for greater Cincinnati. The event
is sponsored locally by the CBA’s Young
Lawyers Section and fully endowed by the
Cincinnati Bar Foundation. As co-chairs
of the Young Lawyer Section’s Mock Trial
Committee, Jacob Harrod (Legal Counsel,
Fifth Third Bank) and Cecelia Tió (Assis-
tant General Counsel, Lumin Digital,
LLC) encourage each of you to take this
opportunity to be involved and support
local students interested in the practice
of law.
We hope you will join us!
For more information on the 2025 case, please visit the Ohio Center for Law Related Education’s website at
https://www.oclre.org/aws/OCLRE/pt/sp/hsmt. 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 614-485-3507 for more information.
THE REPORT | November/December 2024 | CincyBar.org 21