Hauppauge, NY, March 27, 2026 – Congratulations to the teams competing in the 2026 Suffolk County High School Mock Trial Final: Northport High School and Ward Melville High School. Northport is led by teachers Bill Slagle and Hannah Wiederman, and attorney coaches David Lazer and Mark Goidell. The team last won this competition in 2021. Ward Melville is coached by retired teacher Doug Elliot and attorney Joseph Prokop, who last won in 2024. The final match will take place on Monday, March 30th at 3:00 pm at State Supreme Court in Central Islip. The Honorable Eric Sachs, District Court Judge and Dean of the Suffolk Academy of Law, will preside over the final match. The winner will advance to the New York State Finals in Albany this May.
Over 500 students from 32 Suffolk County public and private high schools participated in the 2026 New York State High School Mock Trial Program in Suffolk County. This educational program is co-sponsored by The Suffolk County Bar Association (SCBA) and The Suffolk Academy of Law.
The New York State High School Mock Trial Program is a joint venture of The New York Bar Foundation, the New York State Bar Association, and the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program. In this educational program, high school students gain first-hand knowledge of civil/criminal law and courtroom procedures. Thousands of students participate each year. Objectives of the tournament are to teach students ethics, civility, and professionalism; further students’ understanding of the law, court procedures and the legal system; improve proficiency in basic life skills, such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning; promote better communication and cooperation among the school community, teachers and students and members of the legal profession, and heighten appreciation for academic studies and stimulate interest in law-related careers.
The 2026 Mock Trial case is a criminal case entitled People vs. A. Carmen & Carson Blocker. In this hands-on competition, the teams argue both sides of the case and assume the roles of attorneys and witnesses. Each team competes to earn points based on their presentation
and legal skills. “Judges,” usually local judges and attorneys who volunteer their time, score the teams based on ratings on preparation, performance, and professionalism. While the Mock Trial program is set up as a “competition,” emphasis is placed on the educational aspect of the experience which focuses on the preparation and presentation of a hypothetical courtroom trial that involves critical issues that are important and interesting to young people.
The Suffolk County High Schools involved in the 2026 High School Mock Trial competition: Bay Shore High School, Babylon High School, Brentwood High School, Central Islip High School, Commack High School, Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School, Comsewogue High School, Connetquot High School, Deer Park High School, East Hampton High School, East Islip High School, Eastport-South Manor High School, John H. Glenn High School, Half Hollow Hills High School East, Half Hollow Hills High School West, Hampton Bays High School, Harborfields High School, Huntington High School, Kings Park High School, Lindenhurst High School, Mattituck High School, Miller Place High School, Newfield High School, Northport High School, Patchogue-Medford High School, Shoreham-Wading River High School, St. Anthony’s High School, St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, Southampton High School, The Stony Brook School, Ward Melville High School, and West Islip High School.
For interest in joining the High School Mock Trial program for 2027, please contact Suffolk County Coordinator Glenn P. Warmuth, Esq., at (631) 732-2000 or gpw@stim warmuth.com. Mock Trial can be an after-school club, an elective class, or part of your school’s curriculum. An attorney will be provided you to help coach the students in the matters of the legal profession.
The Suffolk County Bar Association, a professional association comprised of more than 2,600 lawyers and judges, was founded in 1908 to serve the needs of the local legal community and the public. The Association sponsors educational programs throughout the year through its educational arm, the Suffolk Academy of Law, and provides 24-hour access to an online lawyer
referral service whereby the public can be referred to attorneys with expertise in a variety of areas of law, the Pro Bono Project, which provides legal services for the disadvantaged citizens of Suffolk County. For more information about these or other Suffolk County Bar Association programs or services, call (631) 234-5511 x 222. Visit our website www.scba.org or find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
