Mock Trials, Real Lessons: Youth Law Fair Inspires Future Legal Minds
March 11, 2026
D.C. Courts Executive Officer Herbert Rouson Jr. addresses students at D.C. Superior Court.
On March 7, dozens of high school students from the Washington, D.C., area flocked to D.C. Superior Court for the 27th Melvin R. Wright Youth Law Fair, a popular annual event cosponsored by the D.C. Bar Communities.
The program, which aims to provide attendees a positive experience with the District's legal system, includes courtroom tours, panel discussions, and mock trials in which students play judge, attorney, juror, witness, or litigant with the assistance and guidance of volunteer judges and attorneys. By interacting with exhibitors at the event, students also learned about area law schools, legal aid programs, nonprofit organizations advocating for animal rights, and work as a stenographer or court reporter.
A courthouse tour included a presentation by Magistrate Judge Philip A. Medley, who talked about his own path to becoming an attorney and judge. Students also got a behind-the-scenes look at the courtroom's lockup and the opportunity to ask Judge Medley questions about the legal profession.
Medley, who clerked for Judge Wright, has participated in the Youth Law Fair for many years. "I love the courthouse," Medley said. "At the same time, I recognize that a lot of people have negative feelings about the courthouse, especially if you are a young person who has somehow ended up here … possibly for a juvenile case, or in connection to a family law case … I can only guess what a negative feeling that is."
"The Youth Law Fair gives kids and their parents an opportunity to come here and have a positive experience, meet a judge, and walk around a courtroom, make it less intense and scary the next time they are in a court, or even open an avenue where they might think about a career," Medley added.
Standing in for Superior Court Chief Judge Milton C. Lee, D.C. Courts Executive Officer Herbert Rouson Jr. addressed the students, telling them that as many as 10,000 people pass through the courthouse on any given day. Rouson asked the students why courts exist, and their responses were surprisingly sophisticated: to keep order, to resolve disputes, to deliver justice, and to ensure that everyone has equal representation under the law.
In her remarks, D.C. Bar President Sadina Montani described the Bar and her role in it. "The D.C. Bar has a lot of important work that we do to support lawyers, and the organization does a lot of work for the community as well," she said. "You are here because the D.C. Bar is working with the courts to put this program on, and I think it is a wonderful chance for you to see a courthouse and to demystify what it means to be a lawyer."
Mock trials are a perennial favorite of both students and volunteers at the fair, and this year's hypothetical case involved allegations about a dog that had been left in a car on a hot day. Ann C. Wilcox, who has extensive criminal defense experience, was one of the coaches for the defense team. "I've done this for several years," she said. "I really enjoy working with the students. It is a great learning experience."
The defenses raised by Wilcox's team resulted in a hung jury, and Prince George's County, Maryland, student Kamari Stephenson, under the tutelage of Magistrate Judge Melanie Acuña, declared a mistrial. Stephenson will graduate in 2027 and hopes to attend the University of Maryland. He said that the event provided valuable insights into how the courts operate. "It really opened my mind to opportunities in the law," Stephenson said.
Acuña encouraged students to take advantage of the networking opportunities available at the event, and to seek internships and volunteering opportunities through guidance counselors, the Bar, and local nonprofit organizations. "Reach out and ask questions," she said. "Keep contact and keep trying throughout your whole career."
After a break for lunch, students met Pepper, the courthouse dog, and her handler, Abby Stavitsky. Stavitsky is a former federal prosecutor in D.C. whose work primarily focused on child abuse, domestic violence, and sex crimes. Pepper was raised and trained in prison as part of an accredited service dog program, Stavitsky said. Today, the duo work to support victims and witnesses of trauma.
In a day of mock trials, Pepper was also involved in the one real crime that took place — stealing a slice of cake from an attendee. It was fortunate that the cake was not chocolate, which can be toxic to dogs, and that its owner opted not to press charges.
Rouson again engaged students in the mock trial debrief session, soliciting comments on the experience, which were uniformly enthusiastic. "I hope today, through this experience, you have all gained a glimpse of [and] gained an appreciation for what goes on within our justice system, and the role that we play as citizens to ensure that we have a justice system that is providing access to justice for everyone who walks through these doors," Rouson said.
