Students preparing for Ohio Mock Trial Competition

About Ohio Mock Trial:
The Ohio Mock Trial Program, established by the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) in 1983, is a statewide educational program designed to allow students to become aware of their constitutional rights and responsibilities.  It provides students the opportunity to learn first hand about the law, court procedures and the judicial system while also building interpretation, critical thinking and public speaking skills.  Students who compete in the Mock Trial program come away with a greater understanding of not only the principals our legal system is founded on but of themselves and the skills they possess.

Each year volunteer attorneys write a legally authentic case involving a constitutional issue that is relevant to students’ own personal experiences.  Training is offered to teachers to help them use the constitutional case materials in their classrooms and give instruction in methods of preparing students to present mock trials.  Teachers have the option of entering a team of 5 – 11 students in an annual statewide academic competition coordinated by OCLRE.

The objectives of Ohio Mock Trial are:

• to improve basic skills such as critical thinking, listening, speaking, and reading
• to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the law, court procedures, and the judicial system
• to increase understanding of our constitutional rights and responsibilities
• to recognize students' academic and intellectual achievements

How Do I Get Involved?

Every year OCLRE presents the new case and its competition manual at the Law and Citizenship Conference which is held in the fall in Columbus, Ohio.  After the conference the manual is then made available to all of the high schools in the state of Ohio.  The manual includes the mock trial case for the year as well as information regarding the rules of the competition.

Team registration forms are then due into the OCLRE office by early December with the district and regional competition taking place in February and the state competition occurring in March in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of the state competition then advances to the national competition which is held in late spring.
 

For more information on becoming involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial program please contact Addie Natalie, program coordinator, by phone at 1-877-485-3510 or by email at anatalie@oclre.org