(March 7, 2007 - Oklahoma City) Catoosa High School earned fifth place in the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Competition. Ada High School won the championship and will represent Oklahoma in the national competition to be held May 10-12 in Dallas.

The mock trial program involves students portraying attorneys and witnesses in a courtroom setting, with judges and attorneys evaluating their performance. This year's mock trial was a civil case which alleges wrongful termination of employment under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The program, now in its 26th year, is sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. Teams are paired with a volunteer attorney coach.

“Catoosa was among just eight teams statewide to make it to the semifinal round,” said OBA President Stephen Beam. “We are extremely proud of the work performed by all the teams, teachers and attorney coaches.”

Catoosa High School’s mock trial team is coached by teacher Diann Dodd, and its attorney coach is Rita Lamkin. Joshua Patton has participated in the program for four years. Returning for a second year are Dustin Cheney and Kayla Godwin. New to the team are Justine Gary, Brittnea Henry, Richard Hulsey, Tiffany Maye, Ashlyn Metcalf, Tim Tillock and Dylan Ward.

Out of the 49 teams that began competing in January, other top finishers are, in second place, Shawnee High School; third, Christian Heritage Academy; fourth, Clinton High School; sixth, El Reno High School; seventh, Broken Arrow High School; and eighth, Jenks High School.

Nearly 400 judges and attorneys volunteered their time to work with mock trial teams as coaches and to conduct the competitions.

The 15,000-member Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma’s legal community.