Ohio High School Mock Trial

About High School Mock Trial

High School 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 where they take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and bailiffs/timekeepers. OCLRE and a committee of volunteers create an original, unscripted case every year that is based on a constitutional issue that serves as the basis for the simulated trial.

Program Event/Student Assessment

Participants of OCLRE’s High School Mock Trial competition are evaluated based on their performance during simulated trials. Each Mock Trial team will present their case as both the prosecution and defense. Teams are randomly paired against another team, switching sides and opponents in each trial. A panel of 2-3 volunteers will serve as judges during trial and each will evaluate student performance. 

High School Mock Trial teams may have between 5-12 students, with some exceptions for schools fielding more than one team.

Competition Details

• District Competition (January)

  • Every Mock Trial team registered for the statewide competition will participate at the District Competition which will take place at various county sites.

• Regional Competition (February)

  • Teams that advance out of the District Competition will go on to compete in the Regional Competition which will take place in various county sites.

• State Competition (March)
  • Teams that advance out of the Regional Competition will go on to compete in the State Competition which is hosted in Columbus over the course of three days (Thursday-Saturday).

For questions, contact Jordan Willis at jwillis@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3515.

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

Costs

Click on the button below to view a sample Ohio Mock Trial invoice for members & non-members.

To see a full list of the fees for each program, please visit: 2026-27 Program Fees Announced

Sample Invoice

For questions, please contact Jordan Willis at jwillis@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3515.

Case File

Case Materials Cost

Case files will be digital in PDF format only. OCLRE no longer offers hard copy cases for sale; advisors should plan accordingly.

2027 Ohio Mock Trial Case

More information coming soon!

Errata Updates

The errata sheet serves to clarify or correct errors in the Mock Trial case and/or rules & does not address team strategy, coaching, or judging protocol. If a question received does not meet the criteria for errata (e.g. pertains to an evidence question), an email response will be sent to the individual advisor.

Previous Cases 

Looking for a prior year's case file? To view a complete list of past case summaries, click HERE. To order a prior year's case, please complete the order form HERE.

2025-26 – State of Buckeye v. Morgan Remy: Defendant Morgan Remy is seeking a motion to suppress evidence that stemmed from what they allege is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The case stems from a 2000 cold case involving the murder of Caleb Jansen. DNA was collected from under the victim’s fingernails, but no match was ever found. In 2025, police received a relative match from a third-party ancestral DNA site and engaged in Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) to trace the DNA back to a likely suspect, the defendant Morgan Remy. Students in this year’s case argued the limits of the third-party doctrine, how consent operates in an evolving technological space, and how courts should handle an emerging technology within law-enforcement regimes. 2025-26 Case Capsule Video.

2024-25 – Denver Saidi v Wyatt Latu: Denver Saidi, principal of Trillium High School and candidate for city council, becomes concerned when a deepfake video featuring their speech at the Snow Ball Dance begins circulating online and damages their campaign. Saidi has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Trillium student Wyatt Latu, who used a generative AI app to create the video, and simultaneously seeks a preliminary injunction from the court to have the offending video taken down. 2024-25 Case Capsule Video

2023-24 – State v Espinosa: Ash Espinosa and Harley Diallo are cousins and were co-owners of a junkyard called Diallo’s Scrap & Sale. In November of 2020, the two became involved in a conspiracy to embezzle and launder money. Over the course of the next year, $80,000 was embezzled from Trillium High School and laundered through the junkyard, in addition to another $320,000 from other illicit sources. Eventually, the cousins were caught and arrested for their financial crimes, with both Espinosa and Diallo pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court must now decide on a loss amount reasonably attributed to each defendant, and as a result, whether the seizure of additional assets would constitute an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment. The State of Buckeye has already seized assets from Ash Espinosa and Harley Diallo, but there is a remaining loss of $18,500 that must be recovered. 2023-24 Case Capsule Video

Past Mock Trial Winners

For more information on how to become involved with the Ohio High School Mock Trial pro­gram, please con­tact Jordan Willis at jwillis@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3515.

High School Mock Trial Statewide Competition

2027 Ohio Mock Trial State Competition

2027 Competition Dates:

District Competition - January 29, 2027

Regional Competition - February 19, 2027

State Competition - March 11-13, 2027

State Competition Locations:

Franklin County Courthouse, S High Street, Columbus, OH

Moyer Ohio Judicial Center (Supreme Court Building), 65 S Front Street, Columbus, OH

Team Registration Cost

*Decisions about the number of teams permitted are made in consultation with our site hosts to ensure that we can accommodate as many teams as possible. Capacity limits are typically announced to all teachers at the annual Mock Trial Conference and on this website afterward.

FAQ

How do I get started?

If you or your school are new to Ohio High School Mock Trial, welcome!

First, you need enough students to start a team. High School Mock Trial teams must have a minimum of 5 students and may have a maximum of 12 students.

Next, you need the case file. At the beginning of competition season, the case order form is available on the “Case File” tab of our website. The case is released annually at the Mock Trial Conference. Conference attendees are the first to receive their copy of the case and attend mock trial introductory and skill-based sessions.

Below is a quick guide explaining how to get started with Ohio Mock Trial

"Road Map to Mock Trial"

Can I still get the case if I cannot attend the Mock Trial Conference? 

Yes! Anyone can order the case materials by completing the form on the “Case File” tab of our website. The case will be made available digitally as a PDF with the option to order hard copy manuals for a separate fee. Conference attendees will receive the case one week earlier than non-attendees.

I have my case materials. Am I ready to compete? 

Not quite yet! To participate in the competition, you must register your team(s). The registration form is available on the “Statewide Competition” tab of our website in mid-fall. Team registration is separate from the case materials and is an additional fee.

What are the costs associated with participating in High School Mock Trial?

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 to help students understand case law, courtroom procedure, and etiquette.

Teachers often have the most success in reaching out to attorneys in their community. You may ask students if they have family/friends who are attorneys, or you can reach out to other community members. Local bar associations are another resource for locating attorneys who may be willing to volunteer. You can see a list of local bar associations here: https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources/lawyer-referral-services/  

When and where do my students compete?  

All teams registered for the competition will compete in the District Competition in January. Teams that advance out of the District Competition will go on to compete in the Regional Competition in February. Teams that advance out of the Regional Competition will move on to the State Competition in March. For the District and Regional competitions, teams will be assigned to compete in the closest competition site with space available. Teams will be notified of their site placement two weeks before the respective competition. The State Competition will take place in downtown Columbus, OH.

For a list of exact competition dates and eventual site assignments, please visit the “Statewide Competition” tab of the website.

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? To start a program at your school, you will need a teacher or staff member to serve as the Mock Trial advisor. You will also need a minimum of five students (including yourself) who are willing to be on the Mock Trial team. If you are able to find a teacher or staff member willing to be the team advisor, refer them to this list or to OCLRE directly.  

If you cannot find a team advisor or enough interested students at your school, you may be able to join a nearby Mock Trial team. Please contact Jordan Willis at jwillis@oclre.org or call (614) 485-3515 for more information.