STUDENT CONTESTS

Students in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont can participate in moot court, mock trial, and essay contests throughout the year. In addition to the contests in connection with our Civic Education initiative, examples include:

  • NYC high school MENTOR Moot Court competition. Since the 1980’s, the Justice Resource Center has partnered with Fordham Law School to offer the MENTOR Moot Court competition to NYC high schools. Approximately 50 high school teams of eight students each compete in single-elimination rounds in November through December. The MENTOR Moot Court competition is part of the MENTOR Law Program, a national program created by lawyers, which partners law firms with public high schools. MENTOR attorneys and law teachers coach students in legal research and oral advocacy skills based on the published MENTOR Moot Court case materials.
  • Mock Trial Competition for high school students in Vermont. U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford, in collaboration with the Vermont judicial community, Snelling Center for Government, Vermont Bar Association, SPEAK (a Vermont Law School student organization), and Civics First in Connecticut (Civics First CT), will host the first Mock Trial competition for high school students throughout the state. Lawyers and law students in Vermont will be assigned as mentors for individual high schools and will help prepare students for the competition on Saturday, March 8, 2019.
  • Mock Trial Competitions for students in Connecticut. Civics First CT sponsors mock trial competitions for high school and middle school students every year. More information, including case materials and video tutorials, available here:
Other Essay Contests

Federal courts throughout the nation, along with the Federal Judges Association and the Federal Bar Association, are using essay contests to inform young people about how the United States Constitution and the United States Judiciary protect personal liberties.

To learn more, please read “More Courts Use Essay Contests to Teach Lessons in Justice,” here.

Advocacy

Summer Advocacy Camp: “The Justice Institute: Crime, Courts, and the Constitution” for high school students on Long Island. The week-long camp is at the Alfonse D’Amato Courthouse and Touro Law Center and includes presentations and discussions with federal judges, current and former federal prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, and FBI agents. Students will also learn basic advocacy skills for a team competition at the end of camp.

Moot Court Competition for high school students in Nassau County. Lawyers in Nassau County will be assigned as mentors for individual high schools and will help prepare students for the competition.