Be an Empire Blue Shirt

Blue Shirts play a vital role in delivering the Empire experience to students across all of our in person programs and our online competitions. Donning our signature Empirion blue, these awesome young people are the “face” of Empire during competition weekends, providing our students with energy and direction. What’s more, through their Empire experience, Blue Shirts make countless new friends and memories, while learning about the value of public service.

Roles & Responsibilities

Volunteer for at least one round of competition
Answer questions and provide directions
Interact in a friendly and professional way with students and coaches
Assist with tournament operations and logistics
Participate in one online training and briefing session prior to the beginning of the program
Contribute to the creation of the Empire Experience

In-person only

Support event setup/take-down, organize team packages, move supplies between the courthouse and hotel, and organize merchandise

Assist in checking in judges
Lead and supervise teams during special events in cooperation with team chaperones
Submit travel information to Empire staff in a timely fashion for scheduling purposes

Job Perks

The following letters are available upon request:

Public service hours outlining amount of time you volunteered for nonprofit
Recommendation letter (pending successful completion of volunteer experience)
20% discount on Shop Empire items

- Hotel accommodation for at least 3 nights (check-in Friday, checkout Monday)—must be willing to volunteer for trials and events on the days in which you are staying at the hotel
  - Lodging is provided on a first-come first-serve basis.
  - Some Blue Shirts volunteer on the days before and after Empire – we call these days ‘shoulder days’ (the preceding Wednesday and Thursday, and the following Monday and Tuesday). We love when Blue Shirts help with setup and breakdown of the competition, but we have limited hotel availability.
  - If you request lodging on a shoulder night, and we approve your request, you will be asked to volunteer for most of the shoulder day. Volunteers that are interested in extending their trip to sightsee are encouraged to either secure accommodations elsewhere (e.g. Airbnb) or may pay for their share of their hotel room on day(s) in which they wish to not volunteer for Empire.
- Breakfast, lunch and most dinners are provided throughout the weekend
- $10 meal stipend provided for each round in which you volunteer

The ideal candidate must be:

Enthusiastic and positive
A proactive problem solver
Reliable
Able to work independently and in a team setting
Willing and able to maintain a friendly, professional demeanor, cognizant of the fact that you are representing Empire Mock Trial
At least 18 years old

Click on competition to view its schedule and learn more.

Volunteer In-Person

Spring Leagues

May 16-17 & May 30-31 (prelims)
June 6-7 (playoffs)

Volunteer Online

learn more

Application Process

Blue Shirts are asked to volunteer for at least one full trial and to submit an application.

Timeline

Applicant submits application, which includes the following:
- Responses to essay questions demonstrating interest in volunteering
- Competition preference(s)
- One reference + contact information
Receive decision on application
Submit final competition availability
Complete at least one (1) hour of training for your Empire competition