Ohio Mock Trial High School Competition

Watch your students grow both academically and personally, right before your eyes! Students learn first-hand about the law, court procedures and the judicial system while also building critical 21st Century skills. 

Ohio Mock Trial of­fers an in­no­v­a­tive ap­proach to learn­ing the law and how our legal sys­tem func­tions. Guided by teach­ers and vol­un­teer legal ad­vi­sors, stu­dents par­tic­i­pate in an orig­i­nal, un­scripted sim­u­lated trial writ­ten by at­tor­neys.  High school stu­dents argue both sides of the case in real court­rooms across the state.  The state fi­nals are held in the Ohio State­house and the win­ner ad­vances to the na­tional com­pe­ti­tion.

Each year vol­un­teer at­tor­neys cre­ate an orig­i­nal case around a cur­rent con­sti­tu­tional issue im­por­tant to stu­dents.  Mock Trial teams work with an at­tor­ney or a judge to pre­pare their case – from both the plain­tiff and de­fense per­spec­tive. Com­pe­ti­tions at the dis­trict, re­gional and state lev­els are con­ducted in an ac­tual court­room and are scored by pan­els of lawyers and judges.

Mock Trial Objectives

• Improve critical thinking, reading, writing, public speaking and listening skills
• De­velop un­der­stand­ing and ap­pre­ci­a­tion for the law, court pro­ce­dures, and the ju­di­cial sys­tem
• Un­der­stand con­sti­tu­tional rights and re­spon­si­bil­i­ties
• Rec­og­nize and re­ward stu­dents’ aca­d­e­mic and in­tel­lec­tual achieve­ments

For questions, contact Danielle Wilmot at dwilmot@oclre.org or 614-485-3507.

The 2019 case will be coming soon; stay tuned! If you want to be the first to get the case, attend the Law & Citizenship Conference on September 17^th. The cost of the case file is discounted when you attend the conference.

2018 Case File: State of Buckeye v. Adam Smith

2018 Case Capsule

Inspired by the popular podcast Serial the 2018 case asks students to tackle the post-conviction relief petition from Adam Smith. In October 1999, Smith was convicted of the murder of Hayley Leigh, his ex-girlfriend and fellow student at Trillium High. Almost 20 years later, Smith has filed a petition for a new trial, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. Smith contends that his original attorney mishandled cell phone evidence in his case, and failed to pursue a potential alibi witness. The state has set an evidentiary hearing to consider Smith's motion for a new trial. Due to serious attorney misconduct, Smith's original trial attorney was disbarred only a few years after his case. Both sides have stipulated to the attorney's deficient representation. The hearing will focus on whether there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the case would have been different but for the ineffective trial counsel (prejudice). 

To place an order for the 2018 Mock Trial Case File, click here. New orders will be filled on Mondays and Wednesdays up until the registration deadline in December.

Case updates and corrections - ERRATA

The final 2018 errata sheet is now available and can be accessed here: 2018 Final Errata. No further errata questions will be accepted for the 2018 season.

Looking for a prior year's case file? Click here to order previous year's case materials, from 1983-2016!

2019 Mock Trial Dates

• District Competition: January 18, 2019
• Regional Competition:  February 15, 2019
• State Competition: March 7-9, 2019

2019 Mock Trial Costs

All schools wishing to participate in the 2019 Ohio Mock Trial Competition must:

1. Purchase a case file (or receive a discounted copy when you attend the Law & Citizenship Conference)
2. Complete a team registration form by the deadline. 
3. Submit a complete roster of students
4. Complete a Behavior Standards form prior to the first competition

Case files can be ordered in either hard copy or digital versions. Digital case files are sent via e-mail as a PDF. 

Hard copy teacher manuals are loosely bound hole-punched paper and include a copy of the ABA Guide to Mock trials. Additional hard copies for students can be ordered after a first copy has been purchased (or received at the Conference)

For more information on how to become involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial pro­gram, please con­tact Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre.org 614-485-3507.

Congratulations to all of the 347 teams that competed in the 2018 Mock Trial Competition across the state!

Congratulations to the 2018 Ohio Mock Trial State Champions, Sylvania Southview High School: Team Jasper

And, to the 2018 Ohio Mock Trial State Runners-Up, Springfield High School Team Platinum!

A special thank you to our judging panelists!

L-R: Caitlyn Johnson, Randall Comer (OSBA president), Justice DeGenaro (Supreme Court of Ohio), Judge McBride (Clermont Co. Common Pleas Court), Carol Seubert Marx (OSBF president)

For more information on how to become involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial pro­gram, please con­tact Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre.org 614-485-3507.

Congratulations to all teams that competed in the 2018 High School Mock Trial State Competition.

2018 Lori Urogdy Eiler Award

If you would like to nominate an outstanding teacher or legal advisor for the 2018 Lori Urogdy Eiler Excellence in Mock Trial Coaching Award, please complete and submit the  2018 Eiler Nominator Form.

For more information on how to become involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial pro­gram, please con­tact Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre.org, 614-485-3507.

How do I get started?

If you or your school/organization are new to Ohio Mock Trial, welcome! First, you need the case file… The case is released annually at the Law & Citizenship Conference. Conference attendees are the first to receive their copy of the case and are also able to attend many mock trial related sessions, including the case presentation by members of the case writing committee and OCLRE staff. In addition to the case file, conference attendees hear from top-notch speakers in the fields of civics, social studies, law, and government, and leave with 30+ lessons and resources. Additionally, if you register for the Law & Citizenship Conference, you will receive a discount on the cost of the case file. As part of the conference, you can also attend an intro to Mock Trial professional development day for only $10 (regularly $25).  This professional development session is intended for those who are new to mock trial, or who would like a refresher.

I am unable to attend the Law & Citizenship Conference but want to get the Mock Trial case. What do I do?!

Take a deep breath and relax. You can still order the case! Complete the form under the "Case File" tab and the case file will be sent to you. Please note that cases will not be sent until after the Law & Citizenship Conference in September. 

I’ve got my case materials. Is that all? Am I ready to compete?

NO. Not yet. Team registration is a separate cost and registration form. Most team advisors wait until closer to the registration deadline, usually mid-December, to make sure that student interest hasn’t waned and to be certain of the number of teams they will field. A team consists of 5 – 11 students.

My students and I are struggling with start-up. Who can help us? 

OCLRE has teacher mentors for all of its programs, including mock trial. Teacher mentors have expressed willingness to help other teachers who are new to a program, to answer questions from the teacher perspective or offer advice. Click Here to access a list of mentors. You can also contact the Mock Trial Program Coordinator Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre, (614) 485-3507. 

How much time should my students and I spend on practice and preparation?

The short and simple answer is: it varies. Some teams are classroom-based and therefore spend class time each week preparing. Other teams are extra-curricular and meet one or more times per week, before or after school or on weekends. Others may only have time to meet a few times per month. There is no right or wrong answer. Figure out what works best for you, your fellow advisors (if any), and your students. The case is released in September and the first competition date is at the end of January, so at most teams have about four months to prepare.

I don’t have a legal advisor. Do I need one?

OCLRE does not require that mock trial teams have a legal advisor, however, most teachers appreciate assistance from volunteer attorneys, who help students understand case law, courtroom procedure and etiquette. Often times a mock trial legal advisor is the parent of a student or a local attorney who volunteers in his/her community. The time commitment for volunteer legal advisors varies and is worked out between the teacher/team advisor and attorney. If you are unable to find a legal advisor, contact Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre, and OCLRE may be able to put you in contact with an interested local attorney.

When and where do my students compete? 

District Competition (the first round of competition) takes place in January. To the greatest extent possible, teams are assigned to a competition site closest to their school. Competition site placement is based on a number of factors, including teams’ ability to travel and courtroom availability at local competition sites. Teams that win both trials (having played both P and D) at the District level advance to Regional Competition in February. Teams that win both trials at Regional Competition will advance to State Competition, in March in Columbus. The state champion team is eligible to compete in the National Mock Trial Competition.

I have a question about or found a discrepancy in, the facts of the case and/or a witness statement. What do I do?

OCLRE will post errata on the Mock Trial page every two weeks beginning in October and going through January. Errata questions must be submitted by the teacher or legal advisor, not students, and should be directed to dwilmot@oclre.org.

It’s competition day and there is inclement weather in my part of the state/school is delayed/school is closed, etc. What do I do?

If your team cannot make it to the competition site, please immediately notify the district/regional competition coordinator where you are scheduled to compete (available in January) as soon as possible. You should also notify OCLRE by contacting Danielle Wilmot, dwilmot@oclre, (614) 485-3507. Teams are expected to follow school district policy and/or common sense when making the decision whether or not to travel in inclement weather. Most importantly: safety should come first! The scheduling of make-up competitions is at the discretion of OCLRE and the affected site coordinators (please see page 10 of the case manual for make-up competition policy).

My school doesn’t have a mock trial team, but I want to get involved. What can I do?

Are you a high school student? Start by talking to a teacher – it could be a social studies teacher, the drama teacher, or even the principal. If you and four or more interested students are willing to take on the challenge, the teacher may be willing, too. There is some expense involved, so make sure to factor that into consideration. If you get buy-in from school personnel, refer the person to the top of this list of FAQs for next steps. If a student can’t convince a teacher in his/her school, please contact OCLRE. On occasion, there are non-school affiliated community teams or other opportunities to get involved.

I am having trouble with the online order form and am getting frustrated. What should I do?

Don’t worry – OCLRE is here to help! Call us at (614) 485-3510 or toll-free at (877) 485-3510 and ask for Cathy. She can guide you through problems and make sure you get what you need. Additionally, Cathy can answer questions about usernames and passwords, as well as payment options. OCLRE endeavors to continually improve our online order and registration processes to benefit our constituents and your feedback help us to do so.

What are the payment options for online orders and registrations? Do I have to use a credit card?

OCLRE offers several payment options. You may pay with a credit card, request to be invoiced, or enter a purchase order (PO) number. If the PO number is not known at the time an order is placed, you may select the purchase order option and then enter “pending” for the number.

How do I know if my order/registration has been completed successfully?

When orders and registrations have been submitted successfully to OCLRE, an automatic email confirmation is generated and should arrive in your inbox within minutes. If you do not receive a confirmation email within an hour, please contact OCLRE. 

A few helpful hints for proper form completion:

• Follow the process all the way through, using the “Next” and “Submit” buttons.
• Complete all required (*) fields or you will not be able to proceed/finish
• Complete the payment portion of the form, even if you are not paying by credit card.
• Other options that you can select include requesting an invoice or entering a PO number (or indicate that a PO is in process and the number is “pending”)