Name: Betsy Byrne
Grade: Senior
School: Trinity Presbyterian School, Montgomery
Years in Judicial: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: Served as the captain of my trial team, a judge last year and was re-elected as a judge this year.
Years in Youth in Government: Three
YIG positions and programs: Elected as a Supreme Court Justice at Youth Legislature last year
Favorite lawyer in history: Leon Jaworski. Jaworski was the special prosecutor during the Watergate Scandal surrounding the presidency of Richard Nixon. He was able to successfully subpoena 64 taped conversations concerning the president’s involvement in the scandal, which ultimately led Nixon to resign from office. Jaworski is my favorite lawyer in history because he held a U.S. president accountable for his actions, thus maintaining a sense of integrity in the U.S. government as a whole.
Name: Thomas Cauthen
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
School: Auburn High School
Years in Judicial and Youth in Government: Two
Previous roles in Judicial: Last year, I was a witness. This year, I’m a judge.
YIG positions and programs: I was a Youth Legislature senator last year.
Favorite lawyer in history: Abraham Lincoln, because of his honesty and determination. He was an inspiring leader and lawyer.
Name: Kenya Harris
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Spain Park High School, Hoover
Years in Judicial and Youth in Government: Two
Previous roles in Judicial: Both my sophomore and freshman year I was an attorney
Favorite lawyer in history: Loretta Lynch because of how much she has accomplished in her life. Her life is the quintessence rags-to-riches story. Not only was she able to attend Harvard, one of the top schools in America, but she also went on to be the first U.S. African American woman to become attorney general. She was able to achieve all she wanted and then some. One can only aspire to accomplish so much in a lifetime.
Name: Cheyenne C.M. Hayes
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
Years in Judicial: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: For the past 2 years, I served as a lawyer.
Years in Youth in Government: Five
YIG positions and programs: I was a reading clerk under Noah McNelley.
Favorite lawyer in history: Delores R. Boyd, my cousin, the same person who has inspired me to run for judge. She practiced law in Montgomery for more than 25 years and she was presiding judge at the Montgomery Municipal Court before her merit-based appointment, in 2001, as a U.S. Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.
Name: Jude Jaber
Age: 18
Grade: Senior
School: Hoover High School
Years in Judicial: Four
Previous roles in Judicial: Attorney for two years (open and close), witness for one (best witness in state), and judge for this year!
Favorite lawyer in history: Harvey Specter of Suits, because he’s incredible.
Name: Lyne Nguyen
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Enterprise High School
Years in Judicial: Two
Previous roles in Judicial: I was a bailiff for my wonderful sister, Nancy Nguyen, last year, and I am more than thrilled to preside as Judge Nguyen this year!
Years in Youth in Government: I have been in Youth in Government since the 6th grade, and I absolutely love it.
Favorite lawyer in history: Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s 20-plus-year long career as an attorney shaped him into a masterful politician. Considering that Lincoln later became one of the nation’s greatest presidents (to me) shows how successful and determined he was!
Name: Bennett McGehee
Grade: Senior
School: Davidson High School in Mobile
Years in Judicial and Youth in Government: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: In my past two years, I brought my school’s first teams to the judicial conference, and I was a leading attorney both times.
YIG positions and programs: I have served as a representative in the House and as a Supreme Court justice at the legislative conference.
Favorite lawyer in history: Joe Flomm. I admire Flomm because of the obstacles, such as ethnicity and class, which he overcame in his climb to fame. He began a small firm as a young adult that handled what many firms at the time saw as “dirty law” that no one wanted. However, his persistence, faith and talent allowed him to make the best of his condition. Now, Flomm’s firm is one of the most successful in the world.
Name: Brantley Oldenburg
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Mobile
Years in Judicial: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: I have been a lawyer at Youth Judicial. In another mock trial tournament, I have been a witness and a timekeeper.
Years in Youth in Government: Four
Favorite lawyer in history: Mahatma Ghandi. He was a major leader of the independence movement in British-ruled India, but he also had a law degree and passed his bar exam. Though he did not make many contributions to law, he left a footprint on the world in leadership.
Name: Gabbi Pohlman
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
School: Montgomery Academy
Years in Judicial: Four
Previous Roles in Judicial: An attorney and witness before becoming a judge my junior year.
Years in Youth in Government: Four
YIG positions and programs: At Youth Legislature, I served on the Supreme Court my sophomore year and Governor’s Cabinet junior year. This past summer, I was able to attend the Youth Conference on National Affairs after being selected as first alternate.
Favorite lawyer in history: Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton had a rocky childhood but eventually made himself into a well-remembered historical figure. Although he is remembered for many political actions, such as the forming of the National Bank, he also advanced many of the first judicial precedents. When defending the Loyalists, against rebel trespassing claims, Hamilton’s cases helped to establish judicial review and due process principles. After serving as Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton became one of the most prestigious lawyers in New York.
Name: Olivia Pride
Age: 15
Grade: Sophomore
School: Spain Park High School, Hoover
Years in Judicial: Two
Previous Roles in Judicial: An attorney. I was on the Second Place Plaintiff Team last year.
Years in Youth in Government: Two
YIG positions and programs: I was the 2015 First Year Pro Temp at Youth Legislature. I was selected as a delegate and attended the 2015 Youth Conference on National Affairs. I also have attended the Empire Mock Trial competition in New York City for the past two years.
Favorite lawyer in history: Gerry Spence because of his determination and his perfect record of not losing a criminal case for the prosecution or the defense.
Name: Asna Poonawalla
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Spain Park High School, Hoover
Years in Judicial: Two
Previous Roles in Judicial: I have served both as an attorney and a witness.
Favorite lawyer in history: Clarence Darrow, because he fought for what he believed in and said what was on his mind without any thought of what everyone else would think.
Name: Bay Robinson
Age: 18
Grade: Senior
School: UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Mobile
Years in Judicial: Four
Previous Roles in Judicial: Witness, 9th and 10th grades; judge, junior year
Years in Youth in Government: Four
YIG positions and programs: UMS Government Club President
Favorite lawyer in history: Clarence Darrow. He defended John T. Scopes in the Scopes Monkey Trial. Scopes, who was teaching evolution at a Tennessee high school, was being prosecuted for violating the Butler Act. This law made it illegal for teachers in the public schools to present as factual any theory of creation other than the biblical account. Darrow defended Scopes on the basis of separation of church and state and freedom of expression. Although Scopes was found guilty, Darrow’s involvement in the case was seen as a major defense of First Amendment rights.
Name: James Sadie
Age: 17
Grade: Junior
School: Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
Years in Judicial: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: Attorney and judge
Years in Youth in Government: Five
YIG positions and programs: I have served as a clerk in the Youth Legislature Senate, have been to the Conference on National Affairs and am the president of our Youth in Government Club.
Favorite lawyer in history: Marco Rubio is my favorite lawyer because he stands for the American values that many people have lost.
Name: Jim Schillaci
Age: 17
Grade: Senior
School: Spain Park High School, Hoover
Years in Judicial and Youth in Government: Four
Previous roles in Judicial: My first year I was a bailiff for Judge Blake Daniel. My second year, I was an opening attorney. Last year, I presided as a judge.
YIG positions and programs: I have served on the Supreme Court for two years at Youth Legislature. Most recently, I went to Chicago for the National Judicial Conference where we placed 1st.
Favorite lawyer in history: John Marshall. Marshall set the precedent for judicial review, which gave the judicial branch of government real power to interpret the laws and maintain checks and balances.
Name: Olivia Self
Grade: Senior
School: Hoover High School
Years in Judicial: Four
Previous roles in Judicial: As a member of the Law Academy program, I have always been intrigued by the legal process. I started off my freshman year at Youth Judicial as a witness. My sophomore year, I competed as a witness once more, however, this time was different in that my team placed as the No. 1 defense team. The summer after my sophomore year, I competed at the Youth in Government National Mock Trial Competition where my team placed fifth. With hopes high, I competed as an attorney my junior year and once again won top defense team. The summer in between my junior and senior year, I again attended the Youth in Government National Mock Trial Competition.
Favorite lawyer in history: John Adams, whom I learned about in my AP U.S. history class sophomore year. Upon learning that John Adams headed the defense for the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre, I finally understood what liberty truly meant. The fact that John Adams had the audacity to defend what he believed, as well as what showed to believe, was justified. John Adams winning the verdict as well as moving onto become the president of the United States inspired me.
Name: Olivia Westfall
Age: 16
Grade: Junior
School: Vestavia Hills High School
Years in Judicial: Two
Previous roles in Judicial: Witness
Years in Youth in Government: Two
YIG positions and programs: Member of the House of Representatives in Youth Legislature
Favorite lawyer in history: Paul J. Komives, my grandfather, who served as a federal magistrate judge for 46 years for the state of Michigan. His hard work and contributions to stopping organized crime made a huge difference in the city of Detroit, and I admire him and look up to him in everything that I do.
Name: Talya Whyte
Grade: Junior
School: Montgomery Academy
Years in Judicial and Youth in Government: Three
Previous roles in Judicial: Both years, my freshman and sophomore years, I was an attorney
Favorite lawyer in history: Fred Gray. He was a lawyer during the civil rights movement who defended people like Rosa Parks and the victims of the Tuskegee syphilis study. He was born in my hometown, Montgomery, Alabama.
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