Newton County’s high schools could be education some pretty talented future lawyers.

Eastside High School took second place in the 2014 Georgia High School Mock Trial Program regional competition Saturday, while Newton High School placed third; both schools will be moving on to the district competitions Feb. 22.

More than 40 area attorneys and judges and 30 deputies volunteered their time to judge teams of 14 high school students, who played the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictional case, based loosely on a real case. The students are mentored by legal professionals to learn how to handle a trial.

LeKeyia Reid, an area attorney who organized this year’s event, thanked her fellow attorneys and judges for taking the time to judge students’ performances and said the event was a huge success.

"The hard work and dedication that was put into the countless hours of preparation by the students and their coaches for this year’s competition definitely manifested itself on Saturday, as this year’s competition was very close in terms of scoring. I am extremely proud of each of the students for competing with great integrity and their display of respect during the competition," Reid said Thursday. "I look forward to seeing each of them again next year."

Grovetown High School took first place in the regional competition.