Mock trial is an intercollegiate competition in which teams face each other on opposite sides of either a criminal or civil case. Over a tournament, a team will compete in four trials, two on each side of the case.

Both teams call witnesses, give opening and closing statements, and cross examine the other team’s witnesses. Attorneys are responsible for knowing the rules of evidence, and witnesses must know their facts and perform in character throughout the trial. Judges score each element of the trial to determine the winning team.

Mock trial’s season begins in fall, when teams start attending invitational tournaments to start competing. In the first few months of the second semester, teams then compete at regional tournaments, where they vie to earn a position at an Opening Round Championship Site, the first round of a national tournament. Those who qualify from an ORCS earn a spot competing at the national championship.