Frequently Asked questions

Mock Trial involves competing in a simulated jury trial against another team.  Students portray either attorneys, witnesses or timekeepers in a real courtroom setting under the supervision and direction of real trial attorneys.

Watch this video if you’re interested in creating a team for your school!

For students passionate about either the law, public speaking, or problem solving, Mock Trial can be an extremely fulfilling extracurricular activity to pursue. You do not have to want a career in law to join the team.  Participating helps you develop many crucial skills from teamwork, to critical analysis, to thinking on your feet.

Enrollment is open to all public and private high schools in Kentucky. Schools may enter up to two teams.

The season builds toward competitions in February (regionals) and the first weekend of March (state tournament). Teams can start as early or as late as they want. The case is usually released in September or October Most teams are practicing by November. Some teams elect to scrimmage each other prior to competitions or compete in 1-day invitational tournaments held by Kentucky college teams. Contact between teams for scrimmage purposes can be facilitated by the KHSMTA.

It is up to you and can be as much or as little involved as best fits your team.  Some schools treat mock trial as a "team sport" and have multiple practices a week.  Other schools form a mock trial team from a social studies class.

Currently, over 40 teams participate from all across the state. Our numbers were growing when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The numbers dipped a little after that, but we expect those teams to re-register and out numbers to surpass 50 teams.

Yes.  We used to have a single state tournament where all the teams showed up and competed, but now that so many teams are getting involved, we currently have three simultaneous regional tournaments (Lexington, Covington and Owensboro). The top 4 teams from each region move on to compete in the state tournament as well as 4 more teams who will receive at-large bids.

Since 2017 the statewide mock trial system has been overseen by the Kentucky High School Mock Trial Association, Inc.. (KHSMTA), a non-profit 501(c)(3).  The board consists of attorneys, teachers and coaches from across the state. Click here to meet our Board of Directors.

A fictional court case is released sometime in the fall.  The same case will be used all season.  Each team will prepare to argue both sides of the case by fielding a team comprised of attorneys, witnesses and a timekeeper.  Each side of the case requires three attorneys, three witnesses and a timekeeper.  Some teams have their students participate on both sides of the case while some teams limit their students to only one side.  That will be up to you and depends on the number of members on your team.

Mock jury trials are then conducted where teams will argue the case.  Two or three judges score the round. One judge presides over the trial and rules on objections and evidentiary matters while the remaining judges serve as the jury.  Each attorney and each witness are given scores from 1-10 from each judge for various duties that they have during the trial.  All the scores are added up on each judge's ballot and the team with the highest points win that individual ballot.  The team with the highest number of ballots wins the round.

Tournaments randomly draw teams and which side of the case they litigate for the first round.  For each round after that, teams are seeded based on their prior performance and matched against teams with similar records.

The guaranteed competition is the two-day regional tournament in early to mid February. The top teams the qualify for the state championship in early March.  There are also sometimes 1-day invitational tournaments put on independently by various groups.  For example, The University of Kentucky Mock Trial Team has hosted an invitational for many years.  Western Kentucky University will be hosting a tournament this year. Teams are also encouraged to hold scrimmages with other teams.

Registration fees for the 2022-2023 season will be $300 per team. As part of a generous grant from the Kentucky Bar Foundation, we anticipate offering fee-waivers and financial assistance opportunities. Please be on the lookout for additional information in the coming months.

Registration will open around late August, and will close on November 1, 2022.  Those who attempt to register after November 1, 2022 will not be guaranteed participation in the tournament; if participation is permitted, there will be a $50 late registration fee assessed.  Teams that register after the November 1, 2022 deadline will be ineligible for fee waivers.  We anticipate having Regionals assignments to the teams by Thanksgiving, so timely registration is important.

The $300 registration fee per team will be due no later than December 1, 2022.  Any fees not paid on or before December 1, 2022 will be subject to a $50 late fee.  No team will be allowed to compete if that team's fee (including late fee) is not paid by January 15, 2023.

The invitational tournaments usually are much cheaper (around $100 per team).

Fundraising! It's great team-building and helps get the local community interested in the program.  Schools do everything from selling candy bars to having car washes.  However, one great way to raise money is through the local bar association. The options are endless. 

The North Carolina Mock Trial Association has a wonderful page with resource materials for new teams.  You can find most of everything  you need here: https://ncmocktrial.org/resources/training-materials/

If you need further assistance, you can contact any of the KHSMTA board members. Board members are willing to help advise you while you start your program.

Participating schools are responsible for any other hotel costs associated with attending the tournament.

Yes.  We anticipate providing a grant to the state championship team to offset some of the travel and lodging expenses.  The exact amount may vary from year to year but we are cautiously optimistic that the organization will contribute $2,000 -$4,000. 

Yes. The undergraduate mock trial programs from both the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University will likely host a pre-season tournament in early 2023. Teams are also encouraged to hold scrimmages with other teams.

Feel free to contact us at any time to let us know that you want to start a team. The formal registration for competitions will not begin until the late fall, but make sure to get in touch with us so that we have your contact information and can alert you when registration opens. If you are a new team, your registration fee will be waived for the first year. The case will be released in September. Finally, know that members of the board are willing to travel to your school to meet with you, your administration, or even your students. We are also happy to work with you and advise you or give you direction as the season progresses to make sure that you have everything you need!