The mission of mock trial is to promote an understanding of and appreciation for the rule of law and the United States judicial system. In our judicial system, trials are a search for truth, which depend on standards of honesty, integrity, and exemplary behavior, in word and in deed, by all who participate.
These standards must be an integral part of each team’s mock trial program and are designed to encourage teams to meet their civic and ethical obligations to themselves and other participants, both of which are hallmarks of the mock trial program. To that end, those participating in the mock trial program (including team members, courtroom artists, coaches, observers, and/or anyone else associated with a team), agree to the following:
- Participants will act and speak in a civil and courteous manner during the mock trial season at mock trial events, in trials, and in any and all communications and interactions with others, including other participants, mock trial judges, and competition staff and volunteers.
- Participants will play fair and be gracious in both victory and defeat.
- Participants will be considerate of time constraints, including arriving on time to competitions and competition rounds, and not deliberately undermining opposing counsel’s time limits with excessive interruptions or obstructionist behavior during trials.
- Participants will be fully honest in all communications and not knowingly misrepresent, mischaracterize, misquote, miscite, or unfairly extrapolate the facts of the case or the rules of the competition.
In addition, everyone attending a mock trial event either in person or online, must comply with all rules and procedures related to the competition, including but not limited to the Rules of Competition and the Rules of Evidence. This includes certain housekeeping rules that show our respect toward the spaces occupied during competitions. These include:
- Team members, coaches, observers, and any other persons directly associated with a team are not allowed to view other teams in competition, either live or online, except for the live-streamed championship round.
- Coaches, non-performing team members, and observers will not appear on screen, talk to, signal, or in any way communicate with any member of a currently performing team during the competition, either in person or online.
- Currently performing team members may communicate among themselves during the trial, however, no disruptive communication is allowed.
- Teams from schools where students are allowed to gather in person for their competition may have coaches in the same room as the performing team members. Any non-performing team members, observers, or anyone else associated with a team must remain in a separate room from performing team members.
- No one will contact judges with concerns about a competition round; rather, these concerns should be taken to designated competition staff or volunteers.
Mock trial rules, procedures, and this Code of Civility & Ethics remain in effect throughout the entire competition season. Those who do not follow the rules, procedures, and this Code of Civility & Ethics may be sanctioned up to and including forfeiture or disqualification without a refund of paid fees.
This document must be shared with and reviewed by everyone associated with a team participating in mock trial and a coach from each team must sign the online acknowledgement form before the team’s first preliminary round.
PLEASE NOTE: If you school has more than one team, a coach for each team must complete this form.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THE CODE OF CIVILITY & ETHICS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO COACHES, TEAM MEMBERS, OBSERVERS, AND ANY OTHER PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR SCHOOL'S TEAM.