The National High School Mock Trial Championship is an American nationwide competition of high school mock trial teams. Hundreds, and even thousands of teams participate in district, regional, and state tournaments to select one champion team to represent each of the 50 states. The competition debuted in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.About the Competition, National High School Mock Trial Championship. Accessed July 1, 2007.
Iowa has been the most successful state in the competition, setting a record in 2023 with its fifth national championship. Georgia and Tennessee have each earned the title four times, while Washington State has won the national championship three times. California, New Jersey, South Carolina, Indiana, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nebraska have all won twice.
Winners Past winners and runners-up of the competition include the following schools:Participant History & Past National Winners, National High School Mock Trial Championship. Accessed July 1, 2007. Year Host city Winner Second place1984Des Moines, IowaNebraska - Ogallala High SchoolMinnesota - Cloquet High School1985Lincoln, NebraskaTexas - Richard King High Schoolunknown1986Phoenix, ArizonaIowa - Lincoln High SchoolWisconsin - Superior High School1987Washington, D.C.Arizona - Xavier College PreparatoryIowa - Marshalltown High School1988Dallas, TexasSouth Carolina - Socastee High SchoolTexas - Westlake High School1989Louisville, KentuckyWisconsin - Rhinelander High SchoolCalifornia - John Marshall High School1990Portland, OregonColorado - Evergreen High SchoolOhio - Shaw High School1991New Orleans, LouisianaNew Jersey - Bergen Catholic High SchoolTexas - Richard King High School1992Madison, WisconsinOhio - Shaw High SchoolTexas - Richard King High School1993Atlanta, GeorgiaMississippi - South Pike High SchoolOhio - Shaw High School1994Chicago, IllinoisCalifornia - Arlington High SchoolRhode Island - Classical High School1995Denver, ColoradoGeorgia - South Gwinnett High SchoolDelaware - St. Mark's High School1996Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaMichigan - Kalamazoo Central High SchoolArizona - Deer Valley High School1997Nashville, TennesseeArizona - Deer Valley High SchoolTennessee - Clinton High School, Tennessee1998Albuquerque, New MexicoNew Jersey - Cherry Hill High School EastGuam - Southern High School1999St. Louis, MissouriGeorgia - Clarke Central High SchoolColorado - Regis Jesuit High School2000Columbia, South CarolinaWashington - Franklin High SchoolNorth Carolina - Asheboro High School2001Omaha, NebraskaIowa - Pocahontas High SchoolNew Jersey - Montclair High School2002St. Paul, MinnesotaTennessee - Family Christian Academy HomeschoolersPennsylvania - Quigley Catholic High School2003New Orleans, LouisianaTennessee - Family Christian Academy HomeschoolersColorado - Glenwood Springs High School2004Orlando, FloridaSouth Carolina - Bob Jones AcademyWisconsin - Rhinelander High School2005Charlotte, North CarolinaCalifornia - Tamalpais High SchoolHawaii - Kauai High School2006Oklahoma City, OklahomaIowa - Valley High SchoolMichigan - Kalamazoo Central High School2007Dallas, TexasGeorgia - Jonesboro High SchoolMichigan - Kalamazoo Central High School2008Wilmington, DelawareGeorgia - Jonesboro High SchoolMichigan - Kalamazoo Central High School2009Atlanta, GeorgiaIndiana - John Adams High SchoolMinnesota - Lakeville North High School2010Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaMinnesota - Breck SchoolIllinois - Hinsdale Central High School2011Phoenix, ArizonaIndiana - John Adams High SchoolMissouri - MICDS2012Albuquerque, New MexicoNew Mexico - Albuquerque AcademyGeorgia - Henry W. Grady High School2013Indianapolis, IndianaNew Mexico - Albuquerque AcademyCalifornia - La Reina High School2014Madison, WisconsinWashington - Seattle Preparatory SchoolSouth Carolina - North Myrtle Beach High School 2015Raleigh, North CarolinaNebraska - Duchesne Academy Georgia - Northview High School2016Boise, IdahoIowa - Marion Home School Assistance ProgramNebraska - Duchesne Academy2017Hartford, ConnecticutNorth Carolina - Central Carolina HomeschoolersMichigan - Kalamazoo Central High School2018Reno, NevadaWashington - Franklin High SchoolMinnesota - Nova Classical Academy2019Athens, GeorgiaTennessee - Agathos Classical SchoolNebraska - Creighton Preparatory School2021Evansville, Indiana*Maryland - The Park School of BaltimoreIowa - Iowa City High School2022Kalamazoo, Michigan*Kentucky - Montgomery County High SchoolGeorgia - Northview High School2023Little Rock, ArkansasIowa - Ankeny High SchoolNew Mexico - Albuquerque Academy2024Wilmington, DelawarePennsylvania - Abington Heights High SchoolTexas - Booker T. Washington High School2025Phoenix, ArizonaTennessee - Montgomery Bell AcademyWashington - Seattle Preparatory School2026Des Moines, IowaFlorida - Lakeland Christian SchoolGeorgia - Northview High School2027St. Louis, MissouriTBDTBD2028Hershey, PennsylvaniaTBDTBD
The 2021 and 2022 NHSMTC were held virtually over Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Controversy 2005
The Torah Academy of Bergen County from Teaneck, New Jersey had won its state's 2005 competition, but faced difficulties in its ultimately successful effort to gain accommodations to participate in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina without being required to compete during the Jewish Sabbath.
The American Mock Trial Invitational was created in 2006 by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers as an alternative competition to address concerns of religious commitments by competing school teams.American Mock Trial Invitational, accessed April 19, 2007. Aberback, Brian. " New mock trial contest arises from controversy", The Record (Bergen County), February 24, 2006, accessed April 19, 2007.
2009
Maimonides School of Brookline, Massachusetts won the 2009 Massachusetts state championship and desired to participate in the national championship in Atlanta, Georgia. Due to religious dietary restrictions and Shabbat observance the school asked for accommodation in order to participate without violating their religious beliefs. The school asked for two trials to be changed from Saturday to Thursday or Friday in order to avoid violating Shabbat. In response the school obtained attorney Nathan Lewin to represent the school. Lewin filed a complaint with the US Department of Justice alleging religious discrimination and a violation of civil rights. Attorney Elizabeth Price resigned from the Georgia State Bar in protest over the National Board refusing to grant the requests for accommodation. The Anti-Defamation League sent a letter of protest to the National Board complaining against the lack of reasonable accommodation, asking the National Board not to punish children for their religious beliefs. The United States Congress condemned the National Board for failing to provide for these accommodations. On May 7, 2009, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Doris Downs ruled that unless the competition would accommodate the Orthodox Jewish students, then the courthouse would not be allowed to be used for the competition.
References
External links 2014 National High School Mock Trial Championship National High School Mock Trial Championship