What is a mock trial?
In 1980, Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) introduced the Mock Trial program, which already had a strong following in Los Angeles County, to all the counties in California. The program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society. The program currently involves 36 California counties.
The Case
Each year, CRF creates and produces a new set of Mock Trial materials based on a hypothetical criminal case including summaries of case law, witness statements, official exhibits, and simplified rules of evidence; lesson plans on the central issues in the case; and competition rules and guidelines.
The Students
With the assistance of a teacher-sponsor and attorney coach and students working in teams and study the case and prepare strategies and arguments for trial.
The Trial
Cases are released to all California counties in the early fall. Typically, the San Diego County competition is in early February, with anywhere from two to six rounds of trials. The winners of the county competitions go on to the State Finals in March. In May, the winner of the state competition represents California at the annual National High School Mock Trial Competition.
Judge & Lawyer Volunteers
Each year thousands of members from San Diego County Bar Association and bench volunteer their time to make the Mock Trial an educational and exciting experience for students. Attorneys serve in a variety of roles- acting as team coaches, scoring, and presiding over trials.
Attorney Coach
Coaching a team requires a greater commitment of time, but most coaches report a deep sense of fulfillment as a result of their effort. At least one to two coaches are assigned to work with a participating Mock Trial team. Coaches advise the students on general trial techniques and procedures and on specific strategies for presenting the case. Team coaches meet with each team weekly starting in late October to the competition in February. The time commitment is about once a week for an hour or so. It teams practice schedule is set up by the teacher/sponsor. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
Scorers
Scorers are attorney volunteers who score the Mock Trial competition. Scorers sit in the jury box while the student teams present their case to a judge or commissioner. They are given a set of criteria for rating the teams numerically. The criteria include the quality of the students' presentations, their grasp of the law and court procedures, and their understanding of the case itself. Time commitment is approximately two hours per trial, and you may score as many trials as you choose. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
Presiders
Judge or commissioners use their expertise to preside over a Mock Trial. Time commitment is approximately two hours per trial, and you may preside over as many trials as you choose. Volunteering as a presider is a great way to educate high school students about the courts and legal system. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
How do I start a Mock Trial Program?
It's easy to bring the mock trial program to your school. All you need is a teacher sponsor and a minimum of nine students who want to learn about the American legal system. You will also need time. The competition requires participants to practice roles, learn about legal concepts and create persuasive arguments.
County Coordinator
Each county has a county coordinator who is responsible for coordinating the mock trial program for that county. The coordinator establishes trial dates and locations, modifies CRF's competition rules and procedures, and recruits judges and attorneys to score and preside over trials.
San Diego County Coordinator: Michelle Chavez
San Diego County Bar Association
401 West A Street, Ste. 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 321-4150
mchavez@sdcba.org
How much does it cost?
The registration fee per school is $375.
What if our school is unable to pay the registration fee?
Scholarships are available to Title 1 schools or schools with a lack of sponsorship or resources.
If your school would like to apply for a scholarship to pay for the $375 registration, please complete the "Application for Scholarship" form and submit to Michelle Chavez via e-mail at mchavez@sdcba.org or via fax at (619) 696-3987. Click here for form.
How does my school get an attorney coach?
Once your team's registration form is submitted, the San Diego County Bar Association will assign an attorney coach/coaches to you school. The teacher and the attorney coaches will be give contact information so that they can coordinate a meeting and team practice schedule.
How many students does each school need?
Each team should have the following:
- Nine to 20 students (from the same school)
- One pretrial attorney for the defense, one pretrial attorney for the prosecution (senior division only). Pretrial attorneys cannot participate as trial attorneys during the same trial but can participate as witnesses.
- Three trial attorneys for the prosecution (maximum)
- Three trial attorneys for the defense (maximum)
- Four witnesses for the prosecution
- Four witnesses for the defense
- One clerk (participates with the prosecution team)
- One bailiff (participates with the defense team)
- Alternates (listed on the Team Roster/Code of Ethics Form) are included in the 20-student maximum.
Where do I get the case information?
The teacher-sponsor is the official Mock Trial contact person receiving all correspondence from your county coordinator. Case materials are distributed at the September 19th & 24th orientation meetings from 4:00-6:00 pm at the San Diego County Board of Education. If you are unable to attend the meeting please let the County Coordinator know so that materials can be distributed to your schools.
San Diego County Coordinator: Michelle Chavez
San Diego County Bar Association
401 West A Street, Ste. 1100
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 321-4150
mchavez@sdcba.org
Where can I find the team rules?
The team rules are available at http://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf/mt_ca_rules.pdf
How does the competition work?
There are three rounds that take place over the span of three days. Dates to be determined (late January or early February)
Mock Trial rules of etiquette are as follows:
- Teachers and attorney coaches must identify themselves to the judge before the trials begins.
- Teams are required to submit awards nominations forms to presiding judges and scoring attorneys at all rounds.
- Costumes, theatrical makeup and phony accents are prohibited. In keeping
- with the educational philosophy and objectives of the Mock Trial program,
- teams should concentrate on presenting the trial in a realistic manner, with
- witnesses wearing appropriate courtroom attire and speaking in their
- normal voices.
- Gender-neutral names allow students of either gender to play the role of any
- witness. Any questions regarding gender, race, or physical characteristics
- not included in the official case materials are not allowed.
- Trials are open to the public, but no intentional scouting is allowed. However, since the competition is held after regular business hours all participant's and observer's names must be on the list in order to be admitted into the courthouse. Please contact Julie Myres if you would like to add names to the list. Phone 619-531-3489 or Julie.Myres@sdcourt.ca.gov.
- Scores and match-ups for the next round will be e-mailed to teachers the next day.
- An awards ceremony will be help after Round 3 at approximately 12:15 p.m. awards will be given and the two teams who will participated in the finals will be announced.
Other important information:
- Courtrooms for the competition are located on third floor of courthouse.
- Participates must stay on the third floor during the competition.
- Participants may not go in the back hallways behind courtroom.
- All furniture and items that are moved in courtrooms must be put back in its original place.
- Restrooms are located near the third floor escalator.
- Water and granola bars will be available to all participants during the competition.
- Participants are welcome to bring food to competition.
- Please put all trash in trash receptacles.
- All participants are expected to display proper courtroom decorum and courtesy throughout the competition.
- At all levels of the competition, participants are expected to be polite and patient with mock trial and courthouse staff.
What happens at the award ceremony?
After all the team rounds are completed an awards ceremony is held. Individual students are given awards for their outstanding job in the competition. Attorney scorers nominate students for their outstanding role in each round. The scores are compiled and the student with the most nominations wins. Here are the categories that awards are given:
- Outstanding Prosecution Pretrial Motion Attorney
- Outstanding Prosecution Attorney
- Outstanding Prosecution Witness
- Outstanding Clerk
- Outstanding Defense Pretrial Motion Attorney
- Outstanding Defense Attorney
- Outstanding Defense Witness
- Outstanding Bailiff
How do I volunteer?
There are two ways that attorney can volunteer for the program. They can either be attorney coaches or scorers.
- Attorney Coach: The San Diego County Mock Trial Program needs attorney's coaches in early October to volunteer. Coaching a team requires a greater commitment of time, but most coaches report a deep sense of fulfillment as a result of their effort. At least one to two coaches are assigned to work with a participating Mock Trial team. Coaches advise the students on general trial techniques and procedures and on specific strategies for presenting the case. Team coaches meet with each team weekly starting in late October to the competition in February. The time commitment is about once a week for an hour or so. It teams practice schedule is set up by the teacher/sponsor. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
- Scorers: The San Diego County Mock Trial Program needs attorney's coaches in early February 2013 to volunteer. Scorers are attorney volunteers who score the Mock Trial competition. Scorers sit in the jury box while the student teams present their case to a judge or commissioner. They are given a set of criteria for rating the teams numerically. The criteria include the quality of the students' presentations, their grasp of the law and court procedures, and their understanding of the case itself. Time commitment is approximately two hours per trial, and you may score as many trials as you choose. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
- Presiders: The San Diego County Mock Trial Program needs Judges or Commissioners to volunteer in early February 2013. Judges or Commissioners use their expertise to preside over a Mock Trial. Time commitment is approximately two hours per trial, and you may preside over as many trials as you choose. Volunteering as a presider is a great way to educate high school students about the courts and legal system. To volunteer, please contact Michelle Chavez at mchavez@sdcba.org or via telephone at 619-321-4150.
Sign up now!
You will receive a confirmation email with all the relevant case materials and instructions.
(Please note the case packet is password protected. Once a volunteer signs-up to participate, they will receive the password to download the case via an email confirmation).
Errata: TBD
|
