I have four daughters and all have participated in the Mock Trial program. It was undoubtedly the best learning experience they had in all the activities they have participated in at school. Thanks for running this program!
Guy Langley, Parent
A rigorous experience
- Work in teams, exchange ideas, set goals, and examine issues
- Prepare legal arguments and trial strategies
- Develop presentation skills, analytic ability, and team cooperation
Gain understanding about the legal system
Logistics & Registration
Courtroom Artist Contest
The courtroom Art Contest is a competition that allows artistically talented students the opportunity to participate in the Mock Trial Program. Contestants observe their schools’ Mock Trials and create drawings of the courtroom scenes. Each Mock Trial Team may enter up to two courtroom artists. The winner of the county contest will be eligible to compete at the state Mock Trial Finals. For more information about the Courtroom Art Contest please contact your county coordinator.
Courtroom Journalist Contest
The Courtroom Journalist Contest allows students to experience a courtroom setting from the perspective of a news reporter and learn about the American legal system from actual judges and attorneys. Through the voice of a newspaper reporter reporting on a criminal case, students observe and report on their schools mock trials. Student’s have 24 hours to submit an article depicting the courtroom drama. For more information about the Courtroom Journalist Contest please contact your county coordinator.
Contest Rules
Following rules apply to journalists competing in general. Check with your County Coordinator for any changes made in your local county competition.
Scoring Guidelines | Sample Journalist Article | Reporters’ Handbook
Requirements:
- All contestants must be affiliated with a participating Mock Trial team and enrolled at the team’s school.
- All participants must complete the entry fee form (fees may vary by county).
- All participants must register online authorizing the publication or reprinting of their Journalism Contest submissions for educational purposes. No financial compensation will be awarded.
- Contestants may only watch and report on their own team’s trials.
- All contestants are invited to watch their team’s first trial as a practice. But, all contestants must write their articles based on their team’s designated official round’s trial.
- Typed submissions must be a 12 point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, double-spaced, and the article must not exceed 850 words.
- Submitted articles should be in the voice of a reporter covering a criminal trial. Use of dictionaries and thesauruses will be permitted.
Submission instructions:
- Collect your “Press Badge”/name tag at the school check-in table.
- During the trials, journalists must sit in the jury box in a row below the scorers. If a scorer/presider asks you not to sit in the jury box, you may sit in the front row of spectator seating, away from witnesses.
- Introduce yourself to the scorers (they will be sitting in the jury box) and the presider (she/he will be sitting on the bench).
- Once you are seated, you may not have any contact with anyone from your school (parents, teachers, or fellow students). You must draft your article completely independently.
- On the day of the designated official round, all contestants will have 24 hours to complete their articles and submit to the designated email.
- Contestants may refer to the California Mock Trial case materials, the Journalism Contest rules and Judging criteria during the contest.
- Awards for the Journalism Contest are independent of the school’s results from the Mock Trial Competition; an individual may win a Journalism award regardless of their Mock Trial team’s final ranking.
Competition Logistics
Mock Trial Dates
Senior Round 1 – 11/4
Junior Round 1 – 11/6
Senior Round 2 – 11/12
Junior Round 2 – 11/14
Senior Round 3 – 11/19
Junior & Senior Quarterfinals – 11/21
Junior & Senior Semifinals – 12/2
Junior & Senior Finals – 12/4
Awards Ceremony – 12/4
Competition Materials
- People v. Gold Case Brief (pdf)
- People v. Gold Case Packet >>> to new page or a popup
- People v. Gold Errata (pdf)
- 2024 Los Angeles County Team Rulebook (pdf)
- 2024 Judge and Attorney Handbook (pdf)
- CA Mock Trial Simplified Rules of Evidence (pdf)
- HS Team Roles Breakdown Examples pdf)
- MS Team Roles Breakdown Examples (pdf)
Competition Forms
- Observer Form (pdf)
- Timesheet (pdf)
- Prosecution Team Roster (pdf)
- Defense Team Roster (pdf)
Logistics & Registration
2024-25 CA Important Dates (pdf)
School Registration
2024-2025 School Registration deadline is January 31, 2025.
School Register Now!
All schools in California participating in any 2024-2025 Mock Trial County Competition must register online with Teach Democracy (Rule 1.3 – F), in addition to registering with their county. When a school registers, they have the option to be added to the scrimmage list included on Teach Democracy’s mock trial website.
Once the county coordinator notifies Teach Democracy of the county winning team’s eligibility for the state finals, the winning team’s registration information will be automatically transferred for the state finals.
If you need assistance with the registration process or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Sean-Michael Ramirez at sean-michael@teachdemocracy.org or (213) 316-2109.
Competition Materials
- People v. Gold Case Packet
- People v. Gold Case Brief
- People v. Gold Errata
- CA Mock Trial Simplified Rules of Evidence
- 2024-25 CA Team Rulebook
- 2024-25 CA Judge/Attorney Handbook
- Time Cards
- Scoresheet
- HS Team Roles Breakdown Samples
Competition Forms
- Courtroom Journalist Scoring Criteria
- Prosecution Team Roster Form
- Defense Team Roster Form
- Timesheet (Clerk and unofficial timer)
- Observer Form
- Participation and Courtroom Use Agreement
Courtroom Artist and Journalist Contests
Information & Registration
CA MT Important Dates (pdf)
State Finals Tentative Agenda (pdf)
Registration
Courthouse & Hotel Information
Courthouse Information
Hotel Information
Competition Materials
All pdfs (no links available yet)
- case
- errata
- Case brief
- Rules
- Volunteer handbook
- Sample scoresheet
- Time cards
Competition Forms
- Roster
- Time sheets
- Observer
By volunteering to score or preside over mock trial, attorneys and judges can help youth understand and appreciate the third branch of government.
2025 Mock Trial State Finals
Attention Judges, Attorneys, and Law Students
Volunteers Needed!
Teach Democracy will host the 2025 Mock Trial State Finals at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on March 14-16!
Over 500 high school students will represent their county in court portraying the roles of attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and bailiffs. These young people put in a lot of effort to prepare for the competition, and it is a great experience to be part of it.
We are looking for over 300 legal volunteers to score the trials in March. Each scoring panel includes a presiding judge who presides over a trial and 3 to 4 attorneys who score the students’ performances.
You can help make this competition a success by volunteering and sharing this opportunity with your colleagues! This is an excellent opportunity to earn two MCLE credits.
Join us in this rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact by volunteering for any or all of the rounds below. Trials will take place at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Meals will be provided.
- Friday, March 14 – 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
- Saturday, March 15 – 8:30 am to 11:00 am
- Saturday, March 15 – 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
- Saturday, March 15 – 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Scoring Panel Materials
Case – People v. Gold – password will be emailed with the confirmation email
Mock Trial Co-Sponsors
San Luis Obispo
Mariah Jordan
San Luis Obispo County Office of Education
Monterey
Joyce Breckenridge
The Lyceum of Monterey County
San Mateo
Greg Jouriles
San Mateo County Mock Trial
Contra Costa
Marcus Walton
Contra Costa Co. Office of Education
Napa
Shashawnya Worley
Napa County District Attorney Office
Santa Barbara
Ellen Barger
Santa Barbara County Education Office
Fresno
Melissa Aaron
Fresno County Office of Education
Orange
Marcy Garrett
Constitutional Rights Foundation OC
Santa Clara
Jessica Simpson
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Imperial
Eileen Verdugo
Imperial County Office of Education
Santa Cruz
Sita Kaimal
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Kern
Christine Goedhart-Humphrey
Kern Co. Superintendent of Schools
Lake
Jennifer Kelly
Lake County Office of Education
Sonoma
Shashawnya Worley
Napa County District Attorney Office
San Bernardino
Christy Biancullo
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Stanislaus
Cheryl Goulart
Stanislaus County Office of Education
Madera
Kristi Winter
Madera County Superintendent of Schools
Martin
Tiffany Greenfield
Marin County Office of Education
San Francisco
Kerry Guido
The Bar Association of San Francisco
Mendocino
Cymbre Thomas-Swett
Mendocino County Office of Education
