CLARK, NJ — Students from Cindy Tarello’s fifth-grade Gifted and Talented Program at Valley Road Elementary School have won second place in the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Law Fair 2025 Competition for fifth grade. This marks the second time a team from Clark has placed in the prestigious competition.
The students developed their own legal case, ’Soccer Stadium Collapse,” and will present their mock trial on Wednesday, May 14, at 9:30 a.m., at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick. A judge will preside over the trial, with an audience of students and teachers from across New Jersey serving as jurors. A bailiff will also be present to swear in witnesses.
Following the trial, the audience will break into groups to deliberate. Each group will select a jury foreperson to deliver and explain their verdict. At the program’s conclusion, Valley Road Elementary School will receive a commemorative plaque and each participating student will be awarded a personalized certificate.
This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Clark’s Gifted and Talented students, providing them with an invaluable hands-on experience in the legal system.
Photo Courtesy of Christine Casale Broski