The 20th Annual San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition fielded a record number of competitors with local high school students arguing a realistic criminal trial scenario. 

Mock Trial is a program that gives students hands-on experience learning about the law and the Constitution. This year’s trial concerns murder charges stemming from a death that occurred during the filming of a reality TV cooking show. The pretrial issue involves Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizures, where students will argue the question of whether proper authorization was given for a detective’s search of the suspect’s computer.

A total of 850 San Diego County high school students will participate in the event, making this another record year for the competition. Students from 41 San Diego County high schools have fielded 42 teams during the competition. The competition takes place over four rounds throughout late January and early February, filling 21 courtrooms in the downtown San Diego Central Courthouse for each round. An award ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 7. The local winner, to be determined at the championship round on Tuesday, February 10, will advance to and represent San Diego County in the Statewide Mock Trial Competition in March.

The Mock Trial Competition places high school students in realistic courtroom settings before actual state and federal judges. In those courtrooms, the students assume the roles of lawyers, witnesses, clerks, and bailiffs, facing off on a hypothetical case.

“The San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition showcases the remarkable talent, discipline, and dedication of our students, who commit countless hours to mastering complex legal concepts and presenting thoughtful, persuasive arguments,” said San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Michael S. Groch. “This program would not be possible without the extraordinary volunteerism of the attorneys, judges, and coaches who generously give their time, expertise, and mentorship to support these hardworking students. Together, they embody the highest ideals of public service, education, and excellence that make this program so impactful.”

The annual Mock Trial Competition is a premier civic and legal event. State and federal judges volunteer their time during the trials and attorneys from different practice areas throughout the County spend many hours coaching the high school students or serving as scorers during the competition.

The annual event is hosted at the San Diego Superior Court’s Central Courthouse and coordinated by the Mock Trial Committee, which includes representatives from the San Diego Superior Court, the San Diego County Bar Association, U.S. District Court Southern District of California, San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Public Defender’s Office, Federal Defenders, Inc., U.S. Attorney’s Office, and San Diego Paralegal Association. 

2025 MOCK TRIAL EVENTS:

• Thursday, January 22
  • 5:00 p.m. – Round One
• Wednesday, January 28
  • 5:00 p.m. – Round Two
• Tuesday, February 3
  • 5:00 p.m. – Round Three
• Saturday, February 7
  • 8:30 a.m. – Round Four
  • 12:15 p.m. – Award Ceremony - All students, teachers and coaches are invited to attend the awards ceremony to recognize the best individual performances and announce the top 10 teams.
  • 2:00 p.m. – Semi-Final Round - The top four teams compete to determine who will go on to the championship round.
• Tuesday, February 10
  • 5:00 p.m. – Championship Round - Top two teams; winner will go to the statewide Mock Trial competition.

The semi-final, round, awards ceremony and championship round will be live-streamed via links posted to sdmocktrial.org. School teachers and students wishing to learn more about the program may request more information by emailing [email protected].

For more information on the San Diego Superior Court, please visit sdcourt.ca.gov.