Program Overview

The Massachusetts Bar Association is pleased to announce that the 2025 High School Mock Trial Tournament and Preliminary Trials will be held in-person at courthouses unless otherwise indicated. Information will be updated on the website and in this year's case materials, which will be released during the week of Nov. 4, 2024.

The Massachusetts Bar Association’s Mock Trial Program offers high school students, from across the state, an opportunity to test their skills as lawyers and witnesses in a simulated courtroom competition. Throughout the competition, students learn about the fundamentals of the American judicial system and how it can impact their lives.

Mock Trial Podcast

Click here for the most recent Mock Trial Podcast available on MassBar Beats!

The Competition

Every September, high schools from across Massachusetts register to compete. The tournament officially starts in January and runs through the Mock Trials Finals in March. Please see the team registration form and case materials for the list of specific trial dates.

Schools are divided into 32 geographic regions and compete in three preliminary rounds. The team with the greatest number of wins in each region advances. If two or more teams within a geographic region have the same number of wins, tiebreaker contests follow.
Thirty-two regional winners then compete against one another. The matches and trials will be assigned at random.
During the following weeks, the 16 winners from the regionals compete by random draw, the "Elite Eight" and "Final Four" trials will take place on different days. The State Finals are held in March.
The state champion — Team Massachusetts — competes for the national title.

Competition Benefits

The Mock Trial Program benefits high school participants in many ways. The overall purpose of the tournament is to provide an educational benefit, including:

Furthering students’ understanding of the law, court procedures, civil liberties and our legal system
Increasing students’ proficiency in basic life skills, such as listening, speaking, reading and reasoning
Developing students’ advocacy skills, regardless of which side of the case is being represented and irrespective of the party with which students most identify
Promoting better communication and cooperation between teachers, students, the schools and the legal profession
Heightening students’ consciousness of law-related professions and the academic studies that lead to those professions

Trial Locations

The Massachusetts Bar Association is pleased to announce that the 2025 High School Mock Trial Tournament and Preliminary Trials will be held in-person at courthouses unless otherwise indicated. Specific information and procedures will be shared with the teams as the matches and trial dates are announced. For this year's competition schedule, please see the 2025 Team Registration form or the schedule located in the 2025 case materials which will be released in November, 2024.

Tournament Fees

There is a $200 cost to register your high school for this competition. An additional costs may include purchasing a copy of one of the Finals videos, but is not required.

Questions? Contact Mock Trial Central at mocktrial@massbar.org or (617) 338-0570.

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Why you should participate in Mock Trial

The MBA's Mock Trial Program places high school students in a simulated courtroom, where they prepare a hypothetical case and then test their skills as lawyers and witnesses. MBA members serve as attorney coaches and judges, and thousands of high school students across Massachusetts participate.

“Nauset Regional High School in Eastham, Massachusetts has participated in the Massachusetts Mock Trial program for the past five consecutive years. Our students benefit greatly from the opportunities that this outstanding program provides. As advisors, each year we see amazing growth in collaboration, communication and self assurance for the young men and women who participate. Apprehensive speakers develop the ability to speak before others. Less confident students begin to communicate with grace. A disjointed group of teenagers become a true team. Multiple perspectives and points of view abound, and are valued. The team exudes commitment to one another, and conviction about the principles of law for which they advocate. They discover, share, learn, grow and by the end of the season, win or lose, they are a deeply bonded group with a richer and deeper understanding of the system of laws in our country. Thank you to all of the volunteers at the Massachusetts Bar Association for this wonderful program available to our students.”