History

Democracy in Action

The Alabama YMCA Youth Legislature is a program promoted and developed through the YMCA of Greater Montgomery and Government Clubs of statewide high schools. It is a sound, educational approach to the development of citizen participation in the democratic government by providing opportunities to high school youth to study public government through a model legislative program.

The YMCA and Government Clubs have been chosen as the media through which the program is organized because these entities offer the best source of potential youth leadership in the appropriate age group. YMCA’s  and Government Clubs have the stability, experience, motivation and purpose necessary as an incubator for Youth Legislature and Mock Trial participation, and their regimen of regular meetings lends itself to the study and discussion of public affairs.

Since its first Session in 1949, the Alabama YMCA Youth in Government has met annually, serving approximately 500-600 students in each of its sessions. It is procedurally designed so as to be a replica of the Alabama Legislature and the Alabama Court System.

Youth Legislature officials are elected and preside according to rules adopted, as closely as possible, to reflect the actual rules in force in the Alabama Legislature. Bills are drafted in local clubs and brought to the State Capital for consideration and debate. Thus, delegates to Youth Legislature attain an actual experience in the legislative process, and obtain a better understanding of the complexities of the legislative process and parliamentary procedure.  Select students are selected each year to represent the State of Alabama at the annual Conference on National Affairs.

Mock Trial teams compete in regional competitions with the goal of making the state competition in Montgomery each year.  Top preforming teams from the State Competition advance to the National High School Mock Trial Competition and National Judicial Conference.  Each team is comprised of multiple attorneys and witnesses portrayed by students.  Trials are held at both the Federal Court in Montgomery and the Montgomery County Court.