Our Cases
Empire’s cases are both legally complex and socially relevant, with legal documents and exhibits that look so authentic, you’ll feel like an actual attorney or judge in the state of Empirion.
Averaging over 200 pages, our cases challenge students to synthesize materials, instead of attempting to memorize them in their entirety. In turn, preparing an Empire case is more reflective of actual legal practice.
Empire cases are crucial to furthering our mission. Keep reading to find out how.
Expanding Horizons
The case is at the heart of a student’s mock trial experience. For 3-4 months, they live and breath it, studying and obsessing over every word. “Was that discrepancy intentional or accidental,” they wonder. “Is that fact a ‘red herring’ or a smoking gun,” they ask their teammates. Students spend so much time with their case, that fictional witnesses begin to seem real and objections permeate everyday conversation. Sound familiar? If so, you must be a ‘mocker’.
There is nothing a mocker is more connected to than their case.
A few years ago, this phenomenon led us to an important realization: a mock trial case is a source of untapped educational potential for students. Its pages are capable of providing not only legal challenges for the students, but so much more. We thought, “what would happen if we used our cases to shed light on issues that society has grappled with for generations, like white nationalism or mass incarceration?”
Empire selects case topics that challenge students to consider pressing social issues, often impacting marginalized communities. An issue a student may have encountered briefly online or in school becomes more salient after studying an Empire case for 3-4 months. At their Opening Ceremony, students hear from a guest speaker who helps put their case into context, providing invaluable background information. By taking this approach, we hope to help our students broaden their perspective and, over time, become more compassionate citizens.
Check out the video below to see how Empire uses its case to expand our students’ horizons.
Case Structure
No two trials at Empire look exactly the same and that’s due, in part, to the complexity of our cases. They are rich with facts and exhibits, forcing teams to be strategic about which they present at trial and how they’ll counter the most obscure ones.
As a preview, here’s how Empire’s cases are structured:
Pre-Trial Oral Argument materials
Briefs submitted by the movant and respondent, outlining the arguments and supported by case law
Excerpts from relevant precedent
Legal Documents
Complaint or indictment, as well as an answer
Relevant case law, including an educational supplement
Pre-trial judicial orders, where applicable
8-10 witness statements
4-5 witnesses on each side of the case
Note: Teams are required to call three witnesses per trial. The case includes instructions for which witness(es) are mandatory calls and which are optional. At a minimum, you will be required to call the witness we designate as the Guest Witness in the case materials.
Statements can take the form of an affidavit, deposition testimony, grand jury testimony or an expert report
Exhibits
Ranges from 15-50
Can be in the form of documentary or physical evidence
Click on the arrows below to look through some of our past case exhibits and documents!
Case Library: Coming Soon
Empire’s Case Library will give prospective teams an idea of what types of cases they should expect at an Empire competition. It will also provide mock trial educators and competition organizers with a summary of potential cases that can be licensed for use.
Our competition library will be finished in the coming months. Please check back for updates. In the interim, please do not hesitate to contact us, if there is a case you’re interested in licensing.