Free Lawyer Tips

Free Lawyer Tips

A mock trial is a contrived or imitation trial. It is similar to moot court, but mock trials deal with trials, while moot court deals with appellate court. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers to test theories or experiment with each other. In a mock trial the rules are often abbreviated in order to focus on particular parts of the trial.

Mock trial is also the name of an extracurricular program in which students participate in contrived or fake trials to learn new skills and compete with each other. At some law schools, the term trial advocacy is used for the program. Various organizations such as state bar associations sponsor mock trial/trial advocacy competitions for middle school students, high school students, college students, and law students.

Interscholastic mock trials takes place on three levels. High school competitive mock trial has an annual national competition governed by the National Mock Trial Association. The competition on the college circuit is governed by the American Mock Trial Association. The college circuit also has an unofficial online forum at Perjuries Mock Trial. Finally, there is mock trial/trial advocacy at the Law School level such as the National Trial Competition hosted by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Trial information is sent out in summer to early fall (depending on the level) to each of the competing teams. This information consists of the charges and basis of the case, rules that must be followed, and affidavits of each of the testifying or potentially testifying witnesses. Additional information including documents, maps, and diagrams are often included to help teams understand the situation of the case. These can often be introduced at trial as exhibits.

Teams have to study and analyze this information and form their case by the time of competition, typically held in winter to early spring. Each state has its own case every year that is different than 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.

The teams consist of a maximum of eight official members. These eight members must be organized into two teams of six for the prosecution/plaintiff and defense sides. Both of these six-member sub teams consist of three attorneys and three witnesses.