PARIS – Oxford Hills and Monmouth high schools will compete in the first round of the 2004 Maine State High School Mock Trial Competitions at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, in Oxford County Superior Court.

The competition, in which teams prepare and try a case under simulated courtroom conditions, is sponsored by the Maine State Bar Association and presented by Maine Law & Civics Education at the University of Maine School of Law. Additional support is provided by the Maine Bar Foundation.

Students will try a libel suit. Team members will fill the roles of plaintiff attorneys, defense attorneys and witnesses. The trials are unscripted.

The public is invited, but seating is limited.

About 350 students from 24 Maine high schools, as well as several dozen volunteer lawyers and judges are participating in the Mock Trial Competition, which will culminate in a state championship trial on Dec. 8.