This civics competition lets high school students have their day in court

"Your honors, may I start?" Magda Khedr clears her throat and addresses the court.

After a quick nod from one of the three justices, the prosecutor begins her opening argument. "We contend that the search of Carmen Bundy's phone," Khedr says, "was a clear violation of her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures."

And so begins a day-long trial in New York City. Though in this case, the prosecutor is a high school senior from Staten Island. It's all part of an annual moot-court competition, and students from more than 30 city high schools have been researching and preparing their cases for weeks.

The justices are Fordham University law students, and their ruling will carry not the weight of law, but instead an important lesson in how government works.

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