• High School Mock Trial Program

High School Mock Trial Program

The mock trial team from Jonesboro High School (Clayton County) won their second national title on Saturday, May 10 during the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Wilmington, Del.

The 2009 National High School Mock Trial Championship will be held in Atlanta, Ga., on May 8 and 9, 2009.
Contact the mock trial office to volunteer today!

Welcome to the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program. Since 1988, over 1,200 teams from Georgia's public and private schools have participated in the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition. Coached by volunteer attorneys and teachers, teams of 14 students work together to prepare their presentations from case materials provided by the High School Mock Trial Committee.

In the competition phase, students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses based on the evidence and witness statements. Professional attorneys or judges serve as the presiding judges and juror/evaluators. Teams are evaluated on their ability to make a logical, cohesive and persuasive presentation, rather than on the legal merits of the case.

Adding to the authenticity of the competition, teams compete in actual court- rooms across the state beginning with the regional competitions. Regional winners gather in Lawrenceville, Ga., to compete for the state title and a chance to advance to the National High School Mock Trial Championship.

In addition to the statewide competition, the Mock Trial Program oversees several other activities, all designed to increase students' understanding of and appreciation for the law, court procedures and the legal system.

Sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, the Georgia Bar Foundation, the Council of State Court Judges and the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation.