The Middle School Mock Trial (MSMT) Program is a hands-on exercise in learning about due process. It is a team activity program that is most often conducted as an extracurricular activity, but can also incorporated into law, forensics or public speaking classes. Private schools, home school groups and community groups are welcome and encouraged to participate. Students representing attorneys and witnesses for both sides of a fictional case role play that case being tried in court. The students are guided in their case through support of their teacher and attorney coaches. The program teaches the legal process and trial procedure.
Through participation in the mock trial program, students will increase basic skills such as listening, speaking, writing, reading and problem analysis. Each participating school enters a team sponsored by a teacher volunteer that is ideally composed of between six and 16 students, but can have more students filling alternate roles. Teams try a fictional case against other teams at regional competitions in the fall of each year. The top two teams from each regional competition advance to the state championship in December.
The South Carolina Bar Law Related Education (LRE) Division offers training for new teacher and attorney coaches every summer in preparation for the fall competition.The trainings are not mandatory for teams to be eligible to compete, but they do assist in preparation for a strong and organized team. At the training, teachers are provided with an outline of middle school mock trial guidelines, hands-on activities, videos, mock trial classroom instructional materials and a question/answer session with attorney coaches and mock trial teachers.
Awards and Scholarships
Beyond Middle School Mock Trial
Case Materials
Coaches Manual for Attorneys and Teachers
Correlations to the Standards
Competitions
Dates, Locations, and Directions
Results - Professionalism and Civility Awards
Results - Regional
Results - State
Sample Schedule - Regional and State
Discussion Forum
Effectiveness and Incentives
Forms
Handbook (Rules and Resources)
Important Program Dates
Past Champions
Prior Middle School Mock Trial Cases
Professionalism and Civility Award Criteria
Registration for Competition - Live August 1, 2023
Online Registration Form
Administration Authorization Form
Payment Portal
Resources
Scrimmage Board for Mock Trial Teams
Social Media Tool Kit
Team Participation
Testimonials
Training Dates and Webinar Access for Coaches
Videos for Coaches and Students
Volunteers (Attorney)
Questions???