Booker T. Washington High School Places First at the 47th Annual State High School Mock Trial Competition

The team from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts from Dallas, won first place at the 47th Annual Texas High School Mock Trial Competition on Saturday, March 7, at a competition held at the George Allen Courthouse.

The competition included more than 25 high school teams from across the state, to argue a hypothetical civil court case written by local attorneys with the Dallas Bar Association.

These teams, which have emerged as the best among their school districts and regions, were matched against one another, culminating in the final championship round on Saturday afternoon. The Dallas team will represent the State of Texas at the 2026 National High School Mock Trial Competition in Des Moines, Iowa, May 7-9, 2026.

Judges and attorneys served as “jurors,” and selected the teams that were best prepared and demonstrated exceptional presentation skills. Students portrayed prosecution and defense attorneys, as well as “witnesses.” The “case” is tried by students from approximately 170 Texas schools annually.

(Courtesy photo)

Taking home additional top places were: Uplift North Hills Preparatory (2nd place) in Irving, and El Paso High School from El Paso, and Talkington School for Young Women Leaders in Lubbock, tied for third place. In addition, Reese Elder, of Booker T. Washington High School, received the 2026 Outstanding Advocate Award; Price Jenkins, of Providence Classical School in Spring, Texas received the 2026 Outstanding Witness Award; and Ainslie Ely, of Plano West Senior High School, received first place in the 2026 Courtroom Artists competition. The winning Courtroom Artist will also compete in the National Competition.

The National High School Mock Trial Competition is the ultimate law-related education experience for the best and brightest high school students around the globe. The program is dedicated to promoting an understanding and appreciation of the American judicial system through an academic competition.

The Dallas Bar Association has sponsored and coordinated the statewide program since its inception in the 1970s to teach high school students how the justice system works and how the law is applied in everyday life, and to expose them to critical thinking exercises and quick analysis through preparation and presentation.

In the 43-year history, the Texas High School Mock Trial Competition has had more than 130,000 participants and has awarded approximately $300,000 in scholarships at the local, regional and state levels. More information about the program is available at www.texashighschoolmocktrial.com.