As coach to a new High School Mock Trial team, Court of Appeals Judge Larry Welch tells the Plattsmouth Journal that having the mock trial program has given participants an amazing opportunity.

Welch is quoted in a February 11, 2021, Plattsmouth Journal article saying, “This program helps students learn skills like flexibility and analytics and decision-making every year, but that’s been even more evident in a year like this.”  Read the full article in the Plattsmouth Journal: Cougars Give Positive Verdicts to New Mock Trial Program 

The Judge Lyle Strom High School Mock Trial Program, sponsored by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation, relies on judges and attorneys to coach teams and judge regional and state competitions.  In a social media post in mid-February, the Foundation sent a ‘shout out’ to teams who did their mock trial via Zoom through two rolling blackouts. The post noted, “We lost lighting in one building and connectivity in another building.  Hot spots were set up and students moved to different rooms mid-trial.  This was not easy but we finished – good job.”

As Coach Welch told the Plattsmouth Journal, “It’s been a difficult year on a lot of fronts, but these (Conestoga High School) kids have done an amazing job of adapting to everything and making it work.”