DeKalb School of the Arts won the regional mock trial competition on Feb. 2 at the DeKalb County Courthouse, by defeating Decatur High School in the final round of the competition.

The event, sponsored by the State Bar of Georgia, brought together approximately 150 youth from seven DeKalb and metro Atlanta schools to compete for the regional title. Other schools that competed were Centennial, Chamblee, The Galloway School, Lakeside and Southwest DeKalb.

The event included two rounds of competition, a championship round and an award ceremony.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Nicole Marchand Golden, who has served as organizer of the mock trial competition for seven years, said she was excited about the opportunity to work with talented students for this year’s competition.

“We have students from across the county coming together to compete,” she said. “Hopefully, this platform will not only inspire spirited debated among our young people but will also encourage those participating to pursue a career in law.”

Hunter Archer, a senior at The Galloway School, said being on the mock trial team for four years has largely influenced him to possibly become a lawyer.

“If I do [go into law] it will be largely a part of what I’ve done here at mock trial,” he said.

Hunter, who will attend Brown University in the fall, said he developed skills such as public speaking, organization and confidence as a member of the mock trial team.

“Faking confidence can be one of the most important skills in life because you can get confidence,” he said.

DeKalb School of the Arts will move on to the state mock trial competition, which will be held March 16-17 in Lawrenceville. The winner of the state finals will move on to the national competition in Indianapolis, Ind.