Students from Raines High School and Ribault High Schools had the opportunity to take their long-term gridiron rivalry from off the football field to the court rooms of Duval County

The vision of Judge Brian Davies, the mock trial competition culminated a yearlong activity that paired local volunteer lawyers with the schools organization ‘Future Lawyers and Leaders.’  Student and attorney mentees/mentors met monthly at the schools and took field trips to the State Attorneys Offices and courtrooms to prepare them for the trail.

The program was designed to foster a positive relationship between adults and youth and also give them exposure to the judicial system.

For seven years, the program has been an extracurricular activity for the students to participate and this is the first year the northside rivals competed against each other.

Included in the events leadership team were attorneys from the D.W. Perkins Bar Association attorneys and retired Judge Pauline Drake.

The authentic experience held in the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville, encompasses two courtrooms where Raines and Ribault presided as either the defense or prosecution with Fourth Judicial Circuit Court Judge London and U.S. Magistrate Judge Monte Richardson presiding over the cases.  “

In the course of study, students prepared opening/closing statements, held cross examinations and understanding the roles of the prosecution and defense when overseeing a trial to the courtroom judge. At the close of the day, Ribault was the victor.