We The People State Competition Key Information
Deadline: If you intend to compete on February 12th, 2027, you must submit the registration form by December 1st, 2025
When: February 12th, 2027
Time: 8:30 am - 2:00 PM.
Location: Brigham Young University
Selection Process
- Entry Limit: Only up to six schools can participate at the State level competition.
- If more than six schools register by December 1st, 2026, we will ask for registered schools to submit an video of a group delivering a four minute speech of Unit 5, Question 1 on Google Drive.
- These videos will be sent to judges for review and they will select the top 6 presenters for the State Competition.
- Video Deadline: January 18th, 2027
- Selection results will be sent no later than January 22nd, 2027
Competition Format
- Each school should include a minimum of nine (9) students, with the goal of distributing students evenly across six (6) unit panels, with a minimum of three (3) students per panel.
- There is no formal maximum team size, but we generally recommend for a school's team size to be no more than 36 students to support equitable participation and manageable group sizes.
- Each team must respond to all six (6) unit questions. To do so, the team must be divided into six groups, with each group assigned to testify on one unit.
- Each unit group must include at least three (3) students, and unit group sizes should be as evenly distributed as possible.
- Students may testify on more than one unit only if the team includes fewer than 18 students. In such cases, no student may testify on more than two unit panels.
- If the school's team has less than nine (9) members, a waiver request must be submitted in advance and it is subject to Utah Law-Related Education's approval.
Competition Round Breakdown Each round will last up to 20 minutes, during which the following activities will take place:
- Judges introduce themselves.
- The group briefly introduce themselves.
- 4 minutes – Written presentation
- 8 minutes – Judges’ follow-up questions
- Judges provide brief feedback.
Traditions & Expectations
Dress: Formal/Business attire is required.
Courtesy and Professionalism: Please stand when judges enter or exit the room. At the conclusion of each round, it is tradition for judges to shake hands with students.
Nationals Travel Funding
The winning school will advance to the National Finals in the Washington, D.C. area.
Each school is ultimately responsible for arranging and covering their own travel expenses.
Utah Law-Related Education will contribute $10,000 toward the winning team’s travel costs. Additional funding may be available on a limited, needs-based basis.