"I’ve been judging trials for the MBA Mock Trial Tournament for over ten years. It’s amazing to watch the high school students examine and cross-examine witnesses, present documentary evidence, make evidentiary objections and qualify expert witnesses. It’s really rewarding to participate in a program that teaches kids so many life lessons, regardless of whether or not they want to be a lawyer: teamwork, critical thinking and strategy, public speaking, strong listening skills. I was so impressed by the Mock Trial program that I joined the Mock Trial Committee!"
Carol E. Kamm, Co-chair
MBA Mock Trial Committee
The Massachusetts Bar Association's 2023 High School Mock Trial Program is looking for attorneys to serve as judges at trials scheduled for January, February and March.
Currently, there are trials in need of a judge during the competition's preliminary rounds. If you are interested in volunteering to act as a judge in a trial, please contact us. All judges will be provided case materials, a link to the Jan. 5 Judges' Orientation recording and all pertinent information in advance of the scheduled trials. Please note: The 2023 competition will be held in person at participating high schools (Defense team will host), all trials will begin at 3:30 p.m., and the hope is to schedule subsequent playoff rounds in courthouses.
BOSTON AREA:
1/19/23: Boston Latin Academy v. Ursuline Academy (HOST)
SOUTHEAST AREA :
1/17/23: Barnstable High School v. Sturgis West High School (HOST)
1/17/23: Argosy Collegiate Charter School v. Joseph Case High School (HOST)
1/18/23: Marshfield High School v. Thayer Academy (HOST)
1/19/23: South Shore Charter Public School v. Hull High School (HOST)
1/19/23: Falmouth High School v. Cape Cod Academy (HOST)
NORTHEAST AREA:
1/17/23: Danvers High School v. The Academy at Penguin Hall (HOST)
1/18/23: Haverhill High School v. Lowell Catholic High School (HOST)
1/19/23: Lynn English High School v. St. John’s Preparatory School (HOST)
METROWEST AREA:
1/17/23: Walpole High School v. Bishop Feehan High School (HOST)
1/18/23: St. John’s High School v. Attleboro High School (HOST)
1/18/23: Newton South High School v. Mansfield High School (HOST)
1/19/23: Xaverian Brothers High School v. Dover-Sherborn High School (HOST)
1/19/23: Braintree High School v. Holbrook Middle High School (HOST)
CENTRAL AREA:
1/17/23: Tahanto Regional High School v. Notre Dame Academy (HOST)
1/18/23: Fitchburg High School v. David Prouty High School (HOST)
WESTERN AREA:
1/18/23: Pittsfield High School v. Southwick Regional School (HOST)
1/18/23: Eagle Hill School v. Longmeadow High School (HOST)
This year, the teams are presented with a civil case, Bari/Barry Jacob v. Caborite Aircraft, Inc. — This case revolves around whether or not the wing of a stunt plane (the Caborite Model 2) sheared off due to a design defect or as a result of pilot error. The plaintiff, Barry/Bari Jacob, was the child of John Dymek Jacob, a stunt pilot who died performing an advanced aerobatic maneuver called the Triple Lindy while practicing for a stunt show at the Devlin County Fair. The plaintiff asserts that the defendant, Caborite Aircraft, Inc., failed to design the plane to withstand the amount of g-force necessary for a stunt plane in order to save money. Caborite’s position is that the plane was designed correctly and that the plane’s maximum permitted g-force was exceeded because of pilot error. The question for trial: Can the plaintiff prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the design was defective, or will the defendant be successful in its defense that this tragedy was the result of pilot error?
Interested in one of these open trials? You can sign up by either contacting Mock Trial Central directly or logging into the Mock Trial website using your member number and password. The link is:
https://www.massbar.org/mock-trial/judge-info/open-trials
Questions? Please contact Mock Trial Central via email.