What is Mock Trial?

For students passionate about the law, public speaking, or problem solving, Mock Trial can be an extremely fulfilling extracurricular activity to pursue. Each year, thousands of students prepare legal cases that they then present, as a team, in front of a judge. This process lends itself to the development of many crucial skills, from teamwork, to critical analysis, to writing, and beyond. As such, joining your high school Mock Trial team can be a worthwhile pursuit.

View the presentation at right and read the information below to decide whether Mock Trial is the right activity for you.

Information from A High School Student's Guide to Mock Trial

Mock Trial General Information

What is Mock Trial?

Information from A High School Student's Guide to Mock Trial

High school students act out a civil or criminal trial by arguing for either the prosecution or defense side against another team, which acts as the opposing side.

What does Mock Trial entail?

Information from A High School Student's Guide to Mock Trial

The process begins with the release of competition case materials by the Nebraska Bar Foundation. The case materials contain all pertinent details about the fictional case students will be arguing for or against, including witness statements, pre-trial stipulations, exhibits, and more. The case materials also include strict guidelines that teams must abide by. Every Mock Trial team in the state will be arguing this same case, using only materials provided; any outside sources are not allowed, in order to ensure each team is competing on equal footing.

Students then work with their team to develop cases for both the prosecution and defense sides; come competition time, they will have to be prepared to present both arguments. Each side will appoint students who will take on the roles of trial attorneys(3), witnesses(3), and one timekeeper. They will work together as a team to craft a strong, comprehensive, well-developed case that they will later present in competition.

Mock trial is a highly structured activity. There are certain parts of the trial that all teams must go through, such as opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations, closing arguments, and more. All the components of the trial are strictly timed, and as such, students must be able to think quickly on their feet and communicate their points in a succinct yet effective manner.

Some aspects of your case will likely be prepared in advance. For example, opening statements, which begin the trial, are usually scripted and rehearsed well before the actual competition. Additionally, attorneys will generally thoroughly review their direct examinations on witnesses from their own side. However, other parts of your case must be developed on the fly, and change based on what the other team does throughout the course of the trial. Cross examinations on witnesses from the other side must respond to material brought up during the course of the opposing side’s direct examination, as do re-direct examinations. Furthermore, closing arguments, which conclude the trial, must respond to the trial in its totality in order to pull together your side’s case and refute any material that may threaten the strength of your overall argument. As such, a strong Mock Trial participant must be able to think quickly on their feet.

Teams will generally thoroughly practice and build their case for several weeks or even months before competing. This includes team practices, scrimmages, and independent work on the case. Then, the actual competition begins with teams going up against other local schools. Successful teams may then advance to state-level or even national-level tournaments.

What are the benefits of participating in Mock Trial?

Mock Trial is a fantastic fit for students interested in pursuing the legal field. It gives students early experience in legal procedures, and a comprehensive, first hand look at what law looks like in practice. Even if you’re not interested in law specifically, these kinds of skills and experiences can also be important for history, sociology, anthropology, political science, or other subjects that intersect with the law.

Additionally, high school Mock Trial can help prepare you to compete in collegiate or law school level Mock Trial. These higher levels of Mock Trial are generally more competitive and as such have higher stakes and prestige; having early exposure to and experience with Mock Trial can be invaluable if you’re seeking to get involved at a higher level in the future.

On a more general note, Mock Trial also teaches students invaluable skills that are directly applicable to both academic and personal pursuits. Students who participate in Mock Trial gain analytical skills from analyzing cases and facts, and learn how to compose effective arguments and respond to questions or disputes; these kinds of abilities are extremely useful in college-level writing and discussion in general.

Mock Trial also provides students with the opportunity to develop their professionalism, confidence, and public speaking abilities, all of which are extremely important for both future academic and occupational endeavors. Having these kinds of abilities is useful for college interviews, job interviews, class participation in the university setting, and other scenarios students are sure to encounter.

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