Dec. 2, 2015 – This winter, in addition to sports, homework and other activities, more than 800 Wisconsin high school students will spend their free time preparing legal arguments and honing their presentation skills in advance of the 2016 High School Mock Trial Regional Competition.
The mock trial season officially kicked off Dec. 1, with the release of the case. This year, students will break down a civil case, Sammie Smid v. Robin O’Reilly, about a police officer’s use of excessive force on a 20-year-old homeless person.
“With the national spotlight focused on the police officer-civilian relationship, we thought this case could help students contribute to the discussion,” said Emily Lonergan, co-chair of the State Bar’s mock trial program.
What is Mock Trial?
The Mock Trial program provides high school students with an opportunity to act as attorneys and witnesses in a court case developed by State Bar members.
“Mock trial is more than an extracurricular, it’s a one-of-a-kind, career-level experience that shapes a person’s life and career decisions,” Lonergan said. “We hope that the experience will lead to a career in law, but in reality mock trial alumni are applying their skills to just about every career field.”
Students will argue the case in teams of six to 12, first at the regional level, then the top teams in each region – with the addition of a few wild card teams – will advance to the semifinals and then the finals.
“The final round is a special event for the top two teams,” Lonergan said. “These two teams have an opportunity to argue their case in the Wisconsin Supreme Court Hearing Room, and the winning team advances to the National Competition.”
Volunteer Judges Still Needed – Sign Up by Jan. 18
Mock Trial, funded by the Wisconsin Law Foundation, is a well-established program that works because of the ongoing support and participation of hundreds of State Bar members annually, including volunteer judges in the tournaments.
The 2016 Mock Trial Regional Tournaments will take place Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, in courtrooms across the state. The Mock Trial State Semifinals will take place Saturday, March 12, at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison. Volunteer shifts on both dates are from 7:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or from 1 to 6 p.m.
All judges will receive a copy of a handbook and case materials to review ahead of time, can preview the training video online at their convenience, and will receive scoring instructions and training on the day of the tournament.
The deadline to volunteer for the regional and state tournaments is Jan. 18. Sign up to volunteer at the Mock Trial Tournament webpage on wisbar.org. Direct questions to Katie Wilcox via email or at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191.
