The TCBA held the preliminary round of the TCBA Law Day Speech Contest for high school students on April 16, 2026, at the Thurston County Courthouse. The topic this year was “Treason ” with the question being “Had England won the Revolutionary War, should the signers of the Declaration of Independence, individuals who aided and supported the American Colonists, and those who fought for the United States been charged with treason against England (had England had the same law regarding treason as defined by Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution of the United States)? Why or why not? Choose your position on treason. Support your reasons and arguments using facts, law, historic context, and specific data to substantiate your position.
Thank you to our panel of judges, Thurston County Superior Court Judge, the Mary Sue Wilson and Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine Schaller, and three TCBA Board of Directors, Marie Docter, Jeffrey Carr, and Melissa Goldmann, for judging the preliminary round. We had five participants this year.
All of the students did an amazing job preparing and presenting their speeches for the preliminary round. Leah Andreassen, Isla Morgan, and Holden Warren advanced to the finals which was held during a West Olympia Rotary Club lunch meeting at Tugboat Annie’s on April 28, 2026.
The West Olympia Rotary Club selected three members from the audience to be judges during the final round. The three finalists did an amazing job presenting their speeches once again. After deliberation by the judges, first place was awarded to Leah Andreassen, a junior at Olympia High School, second place was awarded to Isla Morgan, a sophomore at Capital High School, and third place was awarded to Holden Warren, a sophomore at Olympia High School.
The TCBA presented scholarship money to each finalist ($1000 for first place, $800 for second place, and $500 for third place) and the West Olympia Rotary Club presented each of the finalists with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place plaque.
