Mock trial
Year Winner School Winning Students
2016 Harvard Law School Amanda Mundell , Joe Resnek
2015 Chicago-Kent College of Law Emily Schroeder , Nicolette Ward
2014 Yale Law School Hank Moon , John James J.J. Snidow , Ben Wallace
2013 Georgetown University Law Center L. Lars Hulsebus , Amanda Tuminelli
2012 Baylor Law School Steven Lopez , Mark Walraven
2011 Northwestern University School of Law Karim Basaria , Andrew Crowder , Clare Diegel
2010 Stetson University College of Law Brock Johnson , Katelyn Knaak , Trina Sams
2009 Baylor Law School Joel Bailey , Eric Policastro
2008 Chicago-Kent College of Law Mark Griffin , Joshua Jones
2007 Chicago-Kent College of Law Joshua Jones , Keya Rajput
2006 Loyola Law School , Los Angeles Kimberly Greene , Courtney Yoder
2005 Loyola Law School , Los Angeles Melissa Lyons , Kathryn McCann , Brian Ward
2004 University of Houston Law Center Michelle Benavides , Eddie Berbarie , Julie Gray
2003 St. John 's University School of Law Eon R. Smith , Kareem R. Vessup
2002 Northwestern University School of Law Terra Leigh Brown , William J. Dennison II , Christopher L. LaVigne
2001 Stetson University College of Law Thea Dalkalitsis , Carl Mitchell
2000 Notre Dame Law School Shazzie Neseem , Ryan Redmon , Tamara Walker
1999 Temple University School of Law Michael J. Lovell , Amber S. VanHauen
1998 Temple University School of Law Bryan Fortay , Kevin Toth
1997 Northwestern University School of Law Jennifer E. Ancel , Glen G. McGorty , Dana R. Poole
Competitive school-related mock trials around the world -- United States
Elementary school [ edit ] At the elementary school level , the mock trial guide by American Bar Association suggests to use role-playing from scripted mock trials such as fairy tale mock trials as a way to introduce the concept of conflicts , trials , jury verdicts in civil trials , vocabulary of the court , damages , and the roles of individuals portrayed in the trial . Therefore , most of mock trials at this level are non-competitive classroom activities . [ 22 ] There is no national competition for this level . However , a few states offer intrastate competitions . There are a couple of different formats for competitions at this level . The first format focuses on how the cases are developed such as New Jersey Law Fair competitions . Students grades 3 to 6 are asked to generate , develop and write the case from their own idea to include details of the facts , issue , witnesses , statements , instructions , sub-issues , concepts and law . As the students at this age range may not know the details of applicable law , students are allowed to create their own law . There are no specific themes , students can choose any age-appropriate topics . The students are encouraged to do a role-playing in a mock trial based on the script that they have developed to involve other students in the classroom as juries in order to refine their case . Each team plays the roles of both side in their case during the mock trial . The winners will perform their case in the real court . [ 23 ] In North Carolina , the competition has a different format which focuses more on presentation skills . All teams are given the same case which has been written prior to the competition and students are asked to perform role-playing on the case . North Carolina Elementary School Mock Trial Competition uses the winning entries from New Jersey Law Fair in the prior year as the cases for students to perform . [ 24 ] Another format is to follow the standard format similar to the high school level but with less technical restriction . All teams are given the same material related to a case and prepare for the competition . Two teams compete in a live mock trial to represent two sides of the case . This format is used in the New Hampshire Bar Association 's Mock Trial Competition . However , the first round of the competition is done by video submission where each team performs in both sides of the case . The qualified teams will be invited to the live competition with each team on each side of the case . [ 25 ] Middle school [ edit ] Although there is no national competition for middle/junior high school level , there are many intrastate competitions held by state/county level organizers : State Competition Organizer California Annual Los Angeles County Mock Trial Program Constitutional Rights Foundation Connecticut The Middle School Mock Trial Competition Civics First CT Florida Middle School Mock Trial Competition Florida Association for Women Lawyers Indiana Indiana Mock Trial Indiana Mock Trial Iowa Middle School Mock Trial State Tournament The Iowa State Bar Association New Hampshire Law Related Education Program Mock Trial Competition New Hampshire Bar Association New Jersey Law Adventure New Jersey State Bar Foundation New York Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock Trial Program Bronx County Bar Association North Carolina Iredell Middle School Mock Trial Tournament North Carolina Bar Association Ohio Middle School Mock Trial The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education South Carolina Middle School Mock Trial South Carolina Bar Utah Jr. High / Middle School Mock Trial Competition Utah Law Related Education Washington Middle School Mock Trial Competition Washington State YMCA Youth and Government Wisconsin Michael A . Hall Middle School Mock Trial Competition University of Wisconsin Student Bar Association * With the exception of New Jersey , all competitions have similar format as in high school competitions with some rules relaxed . In New Jersey , the format is similar to the New Jersey Law Fair at the elementary school level with two specific themes that the teams can choose to develop their cases . High school [ edit ] The mock trial program was started to allow high school students to experience a courtroom setting in a variety of hands-on roles . The mock trials are set up and structured just like a real court and are bound by the same rules . [ 38 ] This can help the students to know exactly what role each of the different people in a court ( judges , lawyers , witnesses , etc . ) do in the judicial system . High school competitions are even held in functional courtrooms in the local City Hall to lend additional authenticity to the trial , are presided over by real judges , and the competing teams are typically coached and scored by practicing attorneys . Cases typically have to do with problems faced by teens , and includes competitors as witnesses . Each year the case for pre-Nationals competitions alternates between a Civil case and a Criminal case . The cases are set up in such a way that the witnesses , defendant , and prosecution ( or plaintiff , for a Civil case ) are all given gender neutral names to prevent gender based arguments from being brought up in the final arguments . A high school mock trial team in Illinois The National High School Mock Trial Championship began in 1984 . [ 17 ] This first competition consisted of teams from Illinois , Iowa , Minnesota , Nebraska , and Wisconsin . [ 17 ] The competition since has grown and now is considered to be an All-State tournament . Each year , various participating states around the country take turns hosting the tournament . The 2011 Championship was held in Phoenix , Arizona . Albuquerque , New Mexico hosted in 2012 , Indianapolis , Indiana hosted in 2013 , Madison , Wisconsin hosted in 2014 , and Raleigh , North Carolina hosted in 2015 . The 2016 competition was held in Boise , Idaho , Hartford , Connecticut hosted in 2017 , Reno , Nevada hosted in 2018 . The 2019 National High School Mock Trial Competition will be held in Athens , Georgia . [ 39 ] New York State does not participate in the national competition ; rather , it has its own intrastate competition consisting of over 350 teams throughout the state . It follows similar rules to that of the national competition . New York has three levels of play , county competition , regional competition , and the finals , which is held in Albany , New York in May . The state of Maryland also does not compete in the National High School tournament , and thus has their own statewide mock trial competition similar to that of New York . New Jersey and North Carolina both pulled out of the NHSMTC competition following the 2005 season due to a refusal by the organization to accommodate an Orthodox Jewish team , Torah Academy of Bergen County , that had won New Jersey 's state championship . [ 40 ] Both states rejoined in 2010 after their concerns regarding accommodation had been addressed . [ 41 ] Each state has its own case every year that is different from the national case . This means that the winners of the state competitions , who move on to nationals , must study and prepare a completely different case in time for the National High School Mock Trial Competition in May . [ 42 ] The national competition is governed by National Mock Trial Championship , Inc. [ 43 ] College [ edit ] Inter-collegiate mock trial is governed by the American Mock Trial Association or AMTA . [ 44 ] This organization was founded in 1985 by Dean Richard Calkins of Drake Law School and serves as a regulator of mock trial competition at the collegiate level . AMTA sponsors regional and national-level competitions , writes and distributes case packets and rules , and keeps a registry of mock trial competitors and alumni . [ 45 ] The case packet is generally written and distributed prior to the scholastic year in August , and case changes are made throughout the season , usually in September , December , and finally in February after Regional competitions and prior to the Opening Round of Championships . Approximately 600 teams from over 350 universities and colleges will compete in AMTA tournaments . In total , AMTA provides a forum for over 5,300 undergraduate students each academic year to engage in intercollegiate mock trial competitions across the country . [ 46 ] On the inter-collegiate circuit , a mock trial team consists of three attorneys and three witnesses on each side of the case ( plaintiff/prosecution and defense ) . The attorneys are responsible for delivering an opening statement , conducting direct and cross examinations of witnesses and delivering closing arguments . Witnesses are selected in a sports draft format from a pool of approximately eight to 10 available witnesses prior to the round . Typical draft orders are DPDPDP , PPPDDD , or DDPPPD but this may vary substantially between cases . Witnesses may be available only to the plaintiff/prosecution , only to the defense , or to both sides of the case . Witnesses consist of both experts as well as lay witnesses . Judges are usually attorneys or coaches , and in some occasions , practicing judges . All collegiate mock trial cases take place in the fictional state of Midlands , USA . Midlands is not geographically situated and falls under the protection of the United States Constitution . [ 45 ] Tournament competition [ edit ] A tournament consists of four rounds , two on each side of the case , typically scored by two to three judges in each round . The season runs in two parts : the invitational season and the regular season . Invitational tournaments are held throughout the fall semester and into early spring across the country . At invitationals , teams have the opportunity to test out particular case theories and improve as competitors before facing the challenge and pressure of regular season competition . The regular season begins in late January , starting with regional tournaments . There are typically more than 600 teams spread across 24 regional tournaments . Each school is limited to two post-regional bids to the `` Opening Round Championship Series . '' Though there were once direct bids from Regionals to the National Championship Tournament , these bids no longer exist . 192 teams advance to the Opening Round Championship , which is held at eight different tournament sites . The top teams at each Opening Round Championship Tournament qualify for a berth in the National Championship Tournament . There are 48 total bids to the final tournament . Past championship results [ edit ] In 2006 , the University of Virginia beat Harvard University to win the National Championship . [ 47 ] In what was the closest final round in AMTA history , the University of Virginia won the championship by a single point using a tiebreaker , after a three judge panel split with one judge choosing Virginia as the winner , one choosing Harvard , and one calling the round a draw . The University of Virginia 's victory ended the then-recent run by UCLA , which had won the two previous national championships . In 2007 , the University of Virginia again defeated Harvard University . This marked the first ever re-match of a previous year 's final round . Virginia again won via a split decision , winning two of the three ballots in the final round . Virginia also became the 4th school to repeat as champions , joining UCLA , the University of Iowa , and Rhodes College , which accomplished the feat twice . Harvard University became the second program to finish as runner up in consecutive years , joining the University of Maryland , College Park . Maryland , however , had the distinction of losing to themselves in one of those two defeats . In 2008 , the University of Maryland prevailed over the George Washington University in a split-ballot decision ( 2-1 ) . This was Maryland 's fifth title , giving them more total wins than any other university in AMTA history . In 2009 , Northwood University defeated George Washington University 5-0 to claim its first National Championship . In 2010 , New York University defeated Harvard University 3-1-1 to win its first National Championship . This was Harvard 's third championship round appearance in the last five years following its consecutive losses to Virginia . In 2011 , UCLA defeated defending champion New York University 4-1 to claim the Bruins ' third title , the third-most in the history of the American Mock Trial Association . In 2012 , Duke defeated Rutgers 2-1 , in what was the first championship round appearance for both squads . In 2013 , Florida State University defeated Rhodes College in FSU 's first championship round appearance by a 4-1 ballot decision . This was Rhodes ' eighth championship round appearance to date . 2013 also marked the first year that the National Championship Tournament had 3 scoring judges per round ( instead of 2 ) . In 2014 , UCLA defeated Princeton University in a 3-2 ballot decision . With this victory , UCLA tied Rhodes for the second-highest record of championships ( 4 wins ) , behind University of Maryland , College Park ( 5 wins ) . This round was also Princeton 's first championship round appearance . In 2015 , Harvard defeated Yale in a 4-0-1 ballot decision . This marked Harvard 's first championship win , despite having been the runner-up 3 times previously ( in 2006 , 2007 , and 2010 ) . 2015 also marked Yale 's first championship round appearance . Finally , 2015 marked the first year that the case problem for the National Championship Tournament was different from the case schools had been using in competition for the earlier elimination rounds . ( I.e . In the past colleges had argued the same case all year long , but starting in 2015 any team that qualified for the championship tournament was given a brand new case to learn and argue in the span of just a few weeks . ) In 2016 , Yale won its first national championship in an 11-3-1 ballot decision , defeating the University of Virginia in the final trial . Yale is one of only nine schools to have competed in the final trial of the National Championship Tournament two years in a row . 2016 also marked the first year that the National Championship Tournament had 5 scoring judges per round , and 15 scoring judges in the final championship round . [ 48 ] In 2017 , Virginia defeated Yale in a 6-1 ballot decision in a rematch of the 2016 final . Yale 's appearance marked the first time in collegiate championship history the same school has appeared three consecutive times in the final championship round . In 2018 , Miami University of Ohio defeated Yale in a 4-3 ballot decision . This was Miami 's second championship , the first having been in 2001 . Yale extended its record of consecutive championship round appearances to 4 , having been the champion in 2016 and the runner-up in 2017 and 2015 . In 2019 , Yale University defeated Rhodes College in a 5-2 ballot decision . The decision was then vacated by the governing body , after an investigation concluded that Yale had violated tournament rules . Therefore , no winner was declared . [ 49 ] In 2020 , the national championship ( as well as several preliminary qualifier tournaments ) was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . [ 50 ] The following is the list of winners of the National Championship Tournament , as well as the runners-up : Year Winner Runner-Up 2020 No winner declared No winner declared 2019 No winner declared Rhodes College 2018 Miami University Yale University 2017 University of Virginia Yale University 2016 Yale University University of Virginia 2015 Harvard University Yale University 2014 University of California , Los Angeles Princeton University 2013 Florida State University Rhodes College 2012 Duke University Rutgers University 2011 University of California , Los Angeles New York University 2010 New York University Harvard University 2009 Northwood University George Washington University 2008 University of Maryland , College Park George Washington University 2007 University of Virginia Harvard University 2006 University of Virginia Harvard University 2005 University of California , Los Angeles Georgia Institute of Technology 2004 University of California , Los Angeles Columbia University 2003 University of Iowa Howard University 2002 University of Iowa Georgetown University 2001 Miami University ( Ohio ) Rhodes College 2000 University of Maryland , College Park University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 1999 Bellarmine University Rhodes College 1998 University of Maryland , College Park Bellarmine University 1997 Howard University Rhodes College 1996 University of Maryland , College Park Saint Louis University 1995 Rhodes College Loras College 1994 Rhodes College Bellarmine University 1993 Drake University University of Maryland , College Park 1992* University of Maryland , College Park University of Maryland , College Park 1991 Rhodes College Bellarmine University 1990 Rhodes College Toledo Community College 1989 Drake University University of St. Thomas 1988 University of South Dakota Wright State University 1987 University of St. Thomas Bellarmine University 1986 Wright State University Northwestern University 1985 Eastern Illinois University Central College From 1992 until 2010 , the `` Maryland Rule '' was in effect , which placed both teams from the same school in the same division in order to ensure there would n't be another championship round between two teams from the same school . The Maryland Rule was repealed before the 2010-11 season . National Championship Round Participants Team Winners Winning Years Runners-Up Runner-Up Years University of Maryland , College Park 5 2008 , 2000 , 1998 , 1996 , 1992 2 1993 , 1992 Rhodes College 4 1995 , 1994 , 1991 , 1990 4 2013 , 2001 , 1999 , 1997 University of California , Los Angeles 4 2014 , 2011 , 2005 , 2004 0 N/A University of Virginia 3 2017 , 2007 , 2006 1 2016 Miami University 2 2018 , 2001 0 N/A University of Iowa 2 2003 , 2002 0 N/A Drake University 2 1993 , 1989 0 N/A Bellarmine University 1 1999 4 1998 , 1994 , 1991 , 1987 Yale University* 1 2016 3 2018 , 2017 , 2015 Harvard University 1 2015 3 2010 , 2007 , 2006 New York University 1 2010 1 2011 Howard University 1 1997 1 2003 University of St. Thomas 1 1987 1 1989 Wright State University 1 1986 1 1988 Florida State University 1 2013 0 N/A Duke University 1 2012 0 N/A Northwood University 1 2009 0 N/A University of South Dakota 1 1988 0 N/A Eastern Illinois University 1 1985 0 N/A George Washington University 0 N/A 2 2008 , 2009 Princeton University 0 N/A 1 2014 Rutgers University 0 N/A 1 2012 Georgia Institute of Technology 0 N/A 1 2005 Columbia University 0 N/A 1 2004 Georgetown University 0 N/A 1 2002 University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee 0 N/A 1 2000 Saint Louis University 0 N/A 1 1996 Loras College 0 N/A 1 1995 Toledo Community College 0 N/A 1 1990 Northwestern University 0 N/A 1 1986 Central College ( Iowa ) 0 N/A 1 1985 Yale also participated in the Championship Round in 2019 , and won the initial judges ' decision , but was later stripped of its title for violating tournament rules . [ 51 ] Forums and social media [ edit ] Beyond merely competitive interactions , collegiate mock trial has established a presence in cyberspace . Some mock trial teams have created forums for themselves on Facebook , [ 52 ] [ 53 ] and spoofs of characters from various cases have even made their way onto Facebook with their very own profiles . [ 54 ] [ 55 ] Furthermore , the American Mock Trial Association has a Twitter feed which provides updates on procedures and tournament results . [ 56 ] The most notable presence of collegiate mock trial on the internet is Perjuries [ 2 ] , the national online mock trial community . On Perjuries , mock trial competitors , coaches , and alumni can create user accounts and post in a wide range of forums about mock trial and mock trial related issues . Here , participants can discuss everything from case strategy to incidents in competition that they found humorous . Furthermore , Perjuries provides a space for competitors to post tournament results and rank their competition . The site is wildly popular boasting over 5,000 registered users , 2,000 discussions , and nearly 88,000 posts . [ 57 ] Law school [ edit ] In the United States , law schools participate in interscholastic mock trial/trial advocacy . Teams typically consist of several `` attorneys '' and several `` witnesses '' on each side . A round consists of two law students acting as `` attorneys '' for each side . The trial typically , although not always , begins with motions in limine and housekeeping matters , then moves through opening statements , witness testimony ( both direct examination and cross examination ) , and finishes with a closing argument , sometimes called a summation . Throughout the trial , rules of evidence apply , typically the Federal Rules of Evidence , and objections are made applying these rules . Every team in a tournament is given the same `` problem '' or `` case '' , typically several months in advance , but for some tournaments only a few weeks ahead of the tournament 's start . The problems can be criminal or civil , which affects many procedural aspects of the trial , for instance the increased rights of a criminal defendant not to testify against himself . The cases are written in an attempt to create an equal chance of either side prevailing , since the main objective is not to identify the winner of the case , but rather the team with superior advocacy skills . Occasionally the winners of mock trial tournaments receive special awards such as money or invitations to special events , but the status of winning a tournament is significant in and of itself . In addition , a university may require a mock trial course or courses as a requirement for graduation ; among such universities is Baylor Law School , whose third-year Practice Court courses are mandatory for all students and have been since the school 's reopening in the 1920s . Mock Trial Competitions* : Georgetown White Collar Crime Invitational Mock Trial Competition , American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition ( formerly ATLA ) National Civil Trial Competition , Texas Young Lawyers Association/National Trial Competition Mock Trial Competition ( NTC ) , Michigan State University National Trial Advocacy Competition ( NTAC ) , California Association of Criminal Justice ( CACJ ) Mock Trial Competition , Capitol City Challenge , National Ethics Trial Competition at Pacific McGeorge School of Law , Lone Star Classic National Mock Trial Tournament The following is the list of winners of the National Trial Competition ( NTC ) : [ 58 ]
A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or experiment with each other. Mock trial is also the name of an extracurricular program in which students participate in rehearsed trials to learn about the legal system in a competitive manner. Interscholastic mock trials take place on all levels including primary school, middle school, high school, college, and law school. Mock trial is often taught in conjunction with a course in trial advocacy or takes place as an after school enrichment activity. Some gifted and talented programs may also take place in one.