Common Questions

What is a Mock Trial? 

Mock Trial is a competitive club organized by the State Bar of Wisconsin.  Students are provided with case materials written by professional attorneys.  The cases are written in a manner where either side could "win" the trial. 

As teams, they act as attorneys and witnesses, developing a theory for the case. Cases typically alternate every year between civil and criminal cases. Teams go against each other in front of real attorneys and judges, winning based on the strength of their preparation. 

Why Do Mock Trial? 

Mock Trial is a great program for any student who wants to improve their ability to argue, present publicly, and become a young professional. It's also an amazing competitive environment where students get to collaborate with others in preparing materials. While the program is an amazing opportunity for students who are interested in a career in law, it also benefits any student who is interested in joining, regardless of career aspirations! 

What is the commitment like for students? 

The Policies and Expectations doc (linked above) has more specifics, but generally speaking:

• JV Teams:

  • Attend practice every Friday from 2:45 to 3:45 PM.  Practices run from September through early February. 

    • Any absences must be communicated ahead of time via email or Google Spaces. 

    • Missing 2 practices without warning will lead to removal from the roster or potentially the team overall. 

  • Attend at least 2 scrimmages during our regular season [December --> January].

  • As needed, students can attend our Mock Trial Workspace on Mondays after school. 

  • Attend regionals (Usually the first Saturday in February)

• Varsity: 

  • Must attend practice every Friday from 2:45 to 4:15 PM. Practices run from September through early February. 

    • Any absences must be communicated ahead of time via email or Google Spaces.

    • Missing 2 practices without warning will lead to removal from the roster or potentially the team overall. 

  • Varsity team members must attend as many scrimmages as possible - missing multiple scrimmages may result in not making Varsity or being swapped into an alternate spot.

  • Monday meetings after school are mandatory (Times vary depending on year, but usually between 2:45 PM and 4:30 PM

  • Attend regionals (Usually the first Saturday in February)

Can I come watch my student? 

Scrimmages: We appreciate your enthusiasm, but we typically do not have audiences attend these scrimmages for a variety of logistical and performance reasons. However, if you are willing to act as a parent chaperone (and thus are willing to do some supervising), you can join us for these dates. 

Regionals: Absolutely! Please be aware that students typically do not know what round they are going until right before trial, so you may be sitting and waiting. Please keep in touch with your student on regional dates to determine where they may be. 

How does transportation work? 

For off-campus scrimmages, students take the bus to and from the scrimmage. Please see the "Calendar" doc above for specific times. Students who are later than 10 minutes late for the reported time may have to find their own transportation. 

How are teams selected? 

Mock Trial teams can be anywhere from 6 to 12 students. At FHS, we have been lucky to have a strong program, and thus we typically have teams of 14 - 6 witnesses, 6 attorneys, and 2 alternates. When there are enough students, we typically have a strong "Varsity" level team that is auditioned for, a more experienced JV, and then a team or two for newcomers. 

Varsity students audition by writing their materials and auditioning against other students. 

Please note that team selection is done as fairly as possible, considering both student skill in law as well as other factors (history of attendance, ability to collaborate with others). 

Can I volunteer to help? 

Attorneys (Current & Former): Yes! We are always looking for help presiding over trials. You can find more information HERE. 

Parents: Email samuel.koenig@franklin.k12.wi.us - we sometimes do look for parents to help out on regional days as chaperones.