News archive

UPDATED IN OCT 2020 The North Carolina Mock Trial Program Board appreciates the entire mock trial community and all they have…

Are you a teacher or homeschool group new to mock trial but interested in fielding a team during our regular competition…

Ready to take your mock trial skills to the next level??? The NC Mock Trial Program is offering a virtual mock…

March 12, 2020 There have been a number of very recent developments as we all deal with the fallout of the…

Do you want to learn more about mock trial this summer? We hope you join us for our 8th annual 4-day…

New in 2020!  The NC Mock Trial Program is pleased to offer a Courtroom Artist Competition at both the Regional and State Finals…

The NCMTP silent auction (Oct 14-19) to benefit the NCAJ High School Mock Trial Competition and the NCMTP mock trial summer camps…

As you likely already know, the NC Mock Trial Program has posted the NCAJ High School Mock Trial Competition Case and…

2019-20 Mock Trial Season Schedule Online team registration is open! Go to Online Registration form to fill out the form online….

In late July over 30 middle and high school students took a break from their summer vacation to take part in…

On Saturday, March 9, the Central Carolina Homeschoolers’ team “Lux” earned the right to represent North Carolina at Nationals in Athens,…

The CCCE hosted our sixth annual summer mock trial camp on the UNC campus from July 25 – 28, bringing together…

On Saturday, March 10, the Central Carolina Homeschoolers’ team “Veritas” earned the right to represent North Carolina at Nationals in Reno,…

The CCCE hosted our fifth annual summer mock trial camp on the UNC campus from July 26 – 29, bringing together…

Team Registration is now open!

Saturday, May 13 dawned cold and gloomy in Hartford, CT, the site of the 2017 National High School Mock Trial Championship….

On Saturday, March 11, the Central Carolina Homeschoolers’ team “Lewis” earned the right to represent North Carolina at Nationals in Hartford,…

Early in the morning on Wednesday July 27, nearly 50 excited high school students and teacher-coaches converged on Connor dorm in Chapel Hill for our 4th annual CCCE summer mock trial camp. While many lived nearby, others had come from as far away as Florida and Wisconsin.

Registration for the fall season is now open. For more information, and to register, go to https://ncmocktrial.org/competitions/important-forms.

On May 12 – 14, 2016, 46 teams of excited high school students took part in the 2016 National High School Mock Trial Championship in Boise, ID – including the 3-time NC state champions, the Central Carolina Homeschoolers.

On Saturday, March 12, the Central Carolina Homeschoolers earned the right to represent North Carolina at Nationals in Boise, Idaho on May 12 – 14, defeating the 2015 champions, Gaston Christian School.

Early in the morning on Wednesday July 29, 60 excited high school students and teacher-coaches converged on Carmichael dorm in Chapel Hill. While many lived nearby, others had come from as far away as Ohio, New Jersey, Tennessee,

By Sue H. JohnsonCCCE Mock Trial Program Coordinator

Gaston Christian wins state finals again!

As those involved in the mock trial program know, most of our students do not go on to study law. Yet they all find the skills that they develop to be useful in whatever career path they choose, whether they become doctors, entrepreneurs…or actors!

Early in the morning on Wednesday June 25, 40 excited high school students and teacher-coaches converged on Winston dorm in Chapel Hill. While many lived nearby, others had driven from as far away as Wilmington and Mooresville.

Returning state champion team the Central Carolina Homeschoolers competed at Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin in May.

Central Carolina Homeschoolers wins 2014 State Championship

Our 8 Regional Champions will advance to State Finals in Raleigh.

Part II of our interview with Steve Schmidly, former attorney advisor at Asheboro High School

Part I of a two-part article in which attorney Steve Schmidly shares his experiences as a long-time attorney advisor at Asheboro High School.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we are blessed to enjoy freedoms that many can only dream about. Why are we so fortunate? Because we live in a nation under the “rule of law” rather than the “rule of men,” thanks to the wisdom and foresight of our Founders‚ many of whom were trial lawyers.

I count myself lucky. I basically get to compete in Mock Trial every day at my job. If you’ve ever had the hot lights on you and a camera with its red light blinking in your face, you know what I’m talking about. The thrill of live television certainly provides the rush that a Mock Trial competition affords…

Just as attorneys have the opportunity to delve into many different topics as they prepare for trial, our students are exposed to a variety of fascinating subjects as they engage with our competition case. This year our students learn about fingerprint and DNA analysis in the affidavit of our forensic expert.

I coached my first mock trial team as a 2L at Wake Forest School of Law. Over the last 20 years I’ve served as a coach, judge, and juror for mock trial. Every year, no matter how difficult it is for me to set aside the time, I come away from the experience feeling that I got more from the kids than I gave them. It would be impossible to describe every gift this program gives to the lawyers who participate, but here are a few:

Decorated Utopia City Police Detective Quinn Penner has just been indicted by the grand jury for the murder of local drug kingpin Orson Hayes. On May 25, 2013, Hayes was gunned down in the alley behind Paradise Pub in Utopia City.

The new mock trial season is about to begin! Teams will look forward to showcasing their talents at Regionals in February, hoping to earn the right to compete at State Finals in March. Such striving for success is exciting and appropriate‚ as long as teams keep the bigger picture in mind . . .

Dates for the 2013-14 season have been set!

Early in the morning on Thursday June 27, more than 80 excited high school students and teacher-coaches converged on Kenan dorm in Chapel Hill. Some had been on the road since 5 a.m., yet their enthusiasm was palpable.

Each year attorneys all across North Carolina devote countless hours to the statewide mock trial program. Scores of legal professionals mentor hundreds of students by serving as team attorney advisors, explaining the nuances of courtroom decorum and the Rules of Evidence.

I had the privilege and pleasure to attend the NHSMTC in Indianapolis. A number of experiences left an impression on me, in no particular order.

From May 8 – 12, 2013, North Carolina state champion Central Carolina Homeschoolers participated in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, earning Eighth place overall!

The CCCE is proud to announce a stellar line-up of instructors for our three-day mock trial camp in Chapel Hill, NC! Nearly a dozen legal professionals, ranging from judges and attorneys, to state representative and litigation consultants, will share their expertise with our students.

We were all shocked by the bombings in Boston this week‚ especially that an event which celebrates community and civic achievement could be so tragically disrupted by evil. But in the midst of the chaos, the clear-headed actions of the first responders were also noteworthy.

Our first-ever Mock Trial Camps were a huge success!

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
As we look back over the 2012-13 mock trial season, we at the CCCE are grateful for the leadership of over 100 teacher coaches and attorney advisors who inspired our youth to “dream more, learn more, do more and become more.”

We at the Carolina Center for Civic Education strive to provide our students with legal cases that are relevant and fun to work on. In creating these cases, we are committed to achieving balance so that the scale is not tilted favorably toward one side or the other straight out of the gate.

Watching the eight Regional Champions interact and compete at State Finals last weekend was a remarkable experience. Not only were the young men and women articulate, composed, and self-assured; they also upheld high standards of ethics and professionalism. I was encouraged to know that our future will be in such capable hands!

2013 State Champion crowned at Campbell Law School!

In my previous posts, I have highlighted the benefits of mock trial team participation. . . . But you don’t have to take my word for it! Listen to the words of several teachers and students who have written about the growth they have seen and experienced as a result of the program.

As a person with a “foot” in both the world of competitive soccer and mock trial, I see many parallels between mock trial competitions and soccer. Mental preparation, hard work, and determination are required to excel in both arenas.

Looking ahead to 2013, I appreciate the perceptive advice in Rick Friedman’s excellent book On Becoming a Trial Lawyer. One lesson particularly caught my attention, as Friedman discussed a common topic in an uncommon fashion.

Involvement in mock trial can be a life-changing experience for students, one which shapes their future even if they have no plans to enter the legal profession. One person who would certainly attest to this truth is Danielle Waugh, a Multimedia Journalist for Gannett’s NBC affiliates WLBZ in Bangor and WCSH in Portland, Maine.

During the 2011-2012 season, over 350 members of the legal profession volunteered their time with us, enabling the mock trial program to reach more than 550 high school students across North Carolina. But the students are not the only ones to benefit; the volunteers are enriched by the experience as well. . .

As long-time Charlotte Regional sponsor Mark Sumwalt so aptly notes, by investing in the mock trial program, legal firms and professionals not only positively impact the lives of countless students across North Carolina, they also build bridge of trust between the legal profession and members of the public.

The new mock trial season is well underway; teacher coaches and attorney advisors are meeting with enthusiastic students all across North Carolina. In the excitement of it all, it is good to step back for a moment and ask why so many students and adults are willing to devote countless hours to this activity.

As I look forward to welcoming my college kids home for Thanksgiving and preparing a feast to fortify them for exams, I look back with gratitude on all the blessings of the last year‚ not the least of which is joining the CCCE as Program Coordinator!

In the real world, I am dealing with people that are in trouble with the law, battling for custody of their children, unable to pay their child support, etc. While non-lawyers think that we can waltz into a courtroom, like Perry Mason, and solve our clients’ problems in the span of one hour, most lawyers know that these cases can go on for months and can be exhausting. I love the practice of law and have no regrets about becoming a lawyer. However, there are days where being a lawyer in the real world is simply not fun.

More than seventy student teams across North Carolina are hard at work preparing to argue the case of Mia Donovan v. Shannon Dempsey, Jordan Reddick, and Rubicon Soccer Club, Inc. Written as an original case for our competition, it focuses on a youth soccer player, Mia Donovan, who suffered debilitating injuries after sustaining multiple concussions on a youth soccer team.

According to a recent article in the News and Observer,* employers across North Carolina and the U.S. are seeking workers “who are good communicators, effective collaborators and creative problem solvers. . . .

The CCCE has embarked on a new Outreach Project to give new schools the support they need to be successful. We have completely revised and expanded our Teacher Resource Manual and provided on-site training.

Team Registration forms for the 2012-2013 season have been posted online!

Dates for the 2012-13 Season have been set

On May 1 – 6, North Carolina state champion Gaston Christian School traveled to the National High School Mock Trial Championship…

On Friday, March 2, 2012, the eight Regional champions from across North Carolina converged upon Campbell Law School, three-time host of the state finals competition.

As we receive information about summer mock trial camp opportunities in North Carolina and across the nation, we will post them on our Resources: Mock Trial camp page. Visit the page now by clicking Mock trial camps

Congratulations to our eight Regional Champions!
The following eight teams will be competing at the State Finals in Raleigh on March 2-3, 2012:

Welcome to the NCAJ High School Mock Trial Competition’s new website. We have built this new site to make it easier to find information about upcoming competitions and will be adding functionality to allow registration for future competitions.