Future lawyers sharpen courtroom skills

Members of what might be the next generation of lawyers had a chance to sharpen their skills at a competition held last week.

Almost 400 middle school students from across the state faced off Saturday in the Middle School Mock Trial Regional Competitions held in Columbia, Georgetown and Lexington, a news release from the South Carolina Bar says. Each competition selected three teams to advance to the state event; another three teams also were chosen.

By region, the winners were:

Columbia

• Forest Creek Middle School — Fort Mill
• Hand Middle School — Columbia
• Pleasant Knoll Middle School — Fort Mill

Georgetown

• Ten Oaks Middle School — Myrtle Beach
• Thomas Cario Middle School — Mount Pleasant
• Buist Academy — Charleston

Lexington

• JET Middle School — Johnston
• Bob Jones Academy — Greenville
• Chapin Middle School — Chapin

The three additional teams selected to advance to the state competition were:

• Dent Middle School — Columbia
• Heyward Gibbes Middle School — Columbia
• W.A. Perry Middle School — Columbia

The Professionalism and Civility Award also was presented to a team from each region. The honorees were:

• Columbia — Dent Middle School
• Lexington — Jackson STEM Middle School
• Georgetown — Daufuskie Island Independent School