Overview of the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition
Since 1988, over 1,200 teams from Georgia’s public and private schools have participated in the Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition. Coached by volunteer attorneys and teachers, teams of 14 students (aged 14‐19) work together to prepare their presentations from case materials provided by the High School Mock Trial Committee (part of the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Georgia, the organization governing the practice of law in this state). In the competition phase, students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses based on the evidence and witness statements. Professional attorneys or judges serve as the presiding judges and juror/evaluators. Teams are evaluated on their ability to make a logical, cohesive and persuasive presentation, rather than on the legal merits of the case. Adding to the authenticity of the competition, teams compete in actual courtrooms across the state beginning with the regional competitions. Regional winners will then compete in one of eight district competitions. The district champions will gather in Lawrenceville, GA to compete for the state title and a chance to advance to the National High School Mock Trial Championship.