Judges come to a tournament 30 minutes before the beginning of a round for a brief judges’ meeting, in which we will briefly explain some of the intricacies of judging. We will gladly provide refreshments and a light meal at each meeting.
During trial, each judge will be given a ballot, which lets the judge score each performance on a scale of 1 to 10. The ballots also include comment sheets, for you to record feedback for competitors.
One judge will preside over the trial, including listening to objection arguments and making evidentiary rulings. The rules of evidence used are almost exactly the same as the Federal Rules of Evidence, with a few changes made for clarity and relevance to the mock trial world.
At the conclusion of each trial, judges hand in their ballots and then briefly give oral feedback to competitors from both teams, as well as give the teams a chance to ask questions. This is an opportunity for you to share your experience and advice with participants, who appreciate any feedback you can give.
What you should know
If you decide to judge, we’d be very grateful for your help. You can judge just one round, or all four; whatever contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated.
Contact bumta@brandeis.edu if you’d like to judge for this year’s tournament
Date:
October/November
Location:
Rabb
First Round:
Second Round:
Third Round:
Fourth Round:
What To EXpECT
Why Judge?
Judging is a time commitment of only a few hours per trial, but your assistance judging will be tremendously meaningful to all participants. Your experience and feedback helps teams develop advocacy skills and improve their performance. Without your scores and feedback teams would be unaware of how to improve.
Your time would be tremendously appreciated if you choose to judge even one round. We know you are busy, and any time you can give is greatly appreciated by competitors as well as every single member of Brandeis Mock Trial. Without your help, this tournament simply could not happen!