The 2018 State Champion team from Shorewood High School. Center in the back is Judge Stephen Crocker, who volunteered as presiding judge for the final round in March 2018.

Dec. 5, 2018 – Shots are fired in a school – and now someone is dead.

Was the tragedy caused by an armed school employee trying to save the students? Or, was it a reckless manifestation of a grudge, turned deadly?

High school students will tackle the difficult issues presented in this fictional school shooting case, just released as part of the 2019 Wisconsin High School Mock Trial competition.

The 2019 case, State v. Kelsey Grammar, was developed by the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Mock Trial Writers Committee headed by Emily Lonergan, chair of the State Bar’s High School Mock Trial program.

Benefits of Volunteering for Mock Trial: A Judge’s View

Volunteering as a mock trial judge isn’t difficult or time-consuming says Judge Stephen L. Crocker, a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin who volunteers as a judge for the state championship round in March.

“The cost/benefit ratio is extremely favorable,” he says. “You spend a couple of hours reading the scenario and the rules, followed by half a day in a courtroom with a score sheet. In return, you get to encourage the next generation of attorneys.”

Judge Crocker has volunteered with mock trial for nearly 20 years on both sides of the bench. “In 2007 and 2008, I was the reluctant coach of my daughter's high school team because no one else would take the reins,” Judge Crocker said.

“As a coach, I broke a lot of pencils sitting in the back of the courtroom watching each round unfold. This experience amplified my already high regard for all of the students, coaches, attorneys, and parents statewide who invest so much time and effort in the program,” he said.

Over the years, he has seen all types of teams, including “painstakingly polished teams from established programs whose students are better than many practicing attorneys; 'dance squad' teams with matching suits, shirts, and hairstyles; and younger 'Jackson Pollock' teams whose abstract and impressionistic presentation of their case is strangely compelling when viewed through the proper lens,” he said.

Are You Our Next Volunteer?

Judge Stephen Crocker, center, questions a student attorney during the 2018 High School Mock Trial championship round in March 2018.

The Wisconsin Mock Trial regional tournaments are set for Feb. 9, 2019, with semifinals slated for March 8 and 9, 2019.

Volunteers – whether practicing attorneys or judges on the bench – are needed especially in these regions: Appleton, Green Bay, Racine, Waukesha, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Milwaukee, Wausau, Juneau, Madison, and Wisconsin Rapids.

Volunteers are needed as judges for:

• Statewide regional competitions take place Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. Sessions run in the morning (7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and afternoon (12:30 to 5 p.m.).

• Semi-final competitions on Friday and Saturday, March 8 and 9, 2019, in Madison. Session times are Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Generally, volunteers choose to be judges for either the morning or afternoon competitions.

The finals competition will be held on March 10, 2019, in the Supreme Court Hearing Room in Madison.

To volunteer, visit wisbar.org/mocktrial, click the volunteer button, and sign up for the semi-finals. If you have questions, contact Katie Wilcox by email or by phone at (608) 250-6191, or (800) 444-9404, ext. 6191.

What is Mock Trial?

Students compete in the March 2018 final championship round in Madison.

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 24 teams will advance to the semifinals, and the top two advance to 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 State Capitol, and the winning team advances to the national competition.”

Since its inception in 1983, the Wisconsin High School Mock Trial Program has brought our legal system to life for thousands of students. Using facts and case materials developed by Wisconsin attorneys, students gain a deeper understanding of the court system as they develop their arguments and build their cases.

Students have the opportunity to:

• analyze and prepare a case

• present as a witness

• argue their assigned role

• receive input and feedback from attorneys and judges

In 2018, a record 120 teams – with 1,500 high school students assisted by 550 attorney volunteers – participated in the program, competing in regional trials statewide in February, and semifinals and finals in March in Madison. The state finalists compete in a national Mock Trial championship, typically in May.