About the Competition

Roll your mouse over the United States and see where the past 25 National Championships have been hosted.

The national mock trial championship was initiated in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin participating. After the success of the tournament in Iowa, more states became interested in participating and the tournament became billed as an "All-State" Tournament.

The competition then moved to Lincoln, Nebraska (1985) and involved 10 states. Subsequent tournaments have been held in Phoenix, Arizona (1986); Washington, D.C. (1987); Dallas, Texas (1988); Louisville, Kentucky (1989) - the first "National High School Mock Trial Championship"; Portland, Oregon (1990); New Orleans, Louisiana (1991); Madison, Wisconsin (1992); Atlanta, Georgia (1993); Chicago, Illinois (1994); Denver, Colorado (1995); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1996); Nashville, Tennessee (1997); Albuquerque, New Mexico (1998); St. Louis, Missouri (1999); Columbia, South Carolina (2000); Omaha, Nebraska (2001); St. Paul, Minnesota (2002); New Orleans, Louisiana (2003); Orlando, Florida (2004); Charlotte, North Carolina (2005); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2006); Dallas, Texas (2007), and Wilmington, Delaware (2008). The tournament is hosted annually by different states to ensure that the cost of running the tournament doesn't fall disproportionately on any particular state.

This year's competition in Wilmington, Delaware, included two more teams than last year (a total of 42 teams) including Guam, South Korea, the Commonwealth of Northern Marianna Islands, and 39 State Champion teams. Future sites include Atlanta, Georgia (2009); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010).

Atlanta, Georgia Tournament Update (2009)

The Georgia High School Mock Trial Committee, which is a project of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia, is gearing up to host the National Tournament in Atlanta in 2009. We’re looking forward to welcoming state champion teams to our capitol city next spring. Already we have volunteer forms posted to our state website (www.georgiamocktrial.org) under the National Championship tab from our main page. We need both attorney and non-attorney volunteers for the tournament weekend. In addition to exciting competition rounds, Atlanta offers tournament participants exceptional dining, shopping and site-seeing opportunities. Be sure to join us next spring for warm weather, Southern hospitality and an outstanding educational experience!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tournament Update (2010)

The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA), host of the 2010 National Mock Trials which will be held in Philadelphia May 6-8, 2010, reports growing excitement across the Keystone state for the upcoming event. Under the leadership of PBA President Andy Susko and former mock trialer and now Bedford County District Attorney and PBA Young Lawyers Chair Bill Higgins, and with the support of Pennsylvania First Lady and Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Midge Rendell who chairs the Honorary Advisory Committee, the PBA is moving forward in making all of the preparations necessary to throw a wonderful mock trial party in the City of Brotherly Love (and sisterly affection) in 2010. The PBA is proud to have Drexel University as its partner in the statewide mock trial program and as the leadership sponsor of the 2010 National Mock Trial Competition.

An original (and very popular) DVD is available from the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia. It can serve as an excellent resource for any school, coach, or attorney-coach in developing a program and for use in team training. The teaching film is approximately 60 minutes long and will take teams step-by-step through a mock trial. The DVD is also suitable for use in a law-related class. It features interviews with students, teacher, attorney coaches and supporters of the mock trial competition in Georgia, and trial footage.

Order form for "May It Please the Court" Mock Trial Video (DVD)(82 kb)

Click here for AP Exam scheduling information for 2008 and 2009.

Click here for the NHSMTC, Inc. By-Laws.

 Judge Dehn from Minnesota presiding
May 10, 2008 - waiting outside the Courthouse for the annoucement of the top two teams competing in the final Championship Round 2008 Awards Banquet - Franny Haney handing over the Host Director gavel to the 2009 Host Director, Stacy Rieke from Georgia

2004 - 2008 National High School Mock Trial Championship®. All rights reserved.

Denver, Colorado 1995 Chicago, Illinois 1994 Atlanta, Georgia 1993 Madison, Wisconsin 1992 New Orleans, Lousiana 1991 and 2003 Portland, Oregon 1990 Louisville, Kentucky 1989 Dallas, Texas 1988 and 2007 Washington, DC 1987 Phoenix, Arizona 1986 Lincoln, Nebraska 1985 and Omaha, Nebraska 2001 Des Moines, Iowa 1984 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1996 Nashville, Tennessee 1997 Albuquerque, New Mexico 1998 St. Louis, Missouri 1999 Columbia, South Carolina 2000 St. Paul, Minnesota 2002 Orlando, Florida 2004 Charlotte, North Carolina 2005 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 2006 Wilmington, Delaware 2008