School Programs

Each year, Nassau County Bar Association lawyers volunteer to encourage and motivate high school students to consider a career in the legal profession by giving them support and advice to argue a real case in a real courtroom during Mock Trial. The annual New York State High School Mock Trial Tournament, the nation’s largest, provides students with hands-on opportunities to further their understanding of the law, court procedures and the legal system, while honing their speaking, listening, reading and reasoning skills. With 44 high schools and nearly 500 students participating, the Nassau contest is the largest single-county competition in the state.

Attorneys act as mentors to middle school students selected by guidance counselors, meeting with them on school premises twice monthly for 45 minutes during the school year. The one-on-one program permits mentor and student to develop a rapport, and motivates students to set and work towards positive goals.