MAY 18-19, 2024

All-Online

Volunteer as a Judge or Juror

Have fun. Make a difference. Judge mock trial.

Ready to sign-up?

Click the button below to register or keep scrolling to learn more.

The Spring Leagues

Over the last four years, online mock trial kept students connected and learning at a time when they needed it the most. With the pandemic behind us, we are left with a platform that is, not only, a terrific supplement to in-person learning, but one that can help eliminate financial barriers to participating in mock trial. 

Last year we debuted the Empire Spring Leagues: two leagues to accommodate teams of all experience levels, giving schools one last chance to compete before summer break. The competition is free for Title I schools and just $250 for all other teams, helping make the Spring Leagues accessible to all.

View the Spring online trial schedule below and please sign up volunteer today!

The Schedule

  • Saturday, May 18


    9:45 AM ET - Round 1
    2:45 PM ET - Round 2

  • Sunday, May 19


    9:45 AM ET - Round 3
    2:45 PM ET - Round 4

  • Saturday, June 8


    9:45 AM ET - Final 8
    2:45 PM ET - Final 4

  • Sunday, June 9


    12 PM ET - Championship Round

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How Does Online Mock Trial Work?

  • Students present from their own devices, located in either their home, school, or wherever they choose to setup their virtual courtroom.

  • Trials take place via Zoom.

    • Each side calls three witnesses at trial.

    • This year’s case is inspired by the tragic submersible that imploded at sea—it is an Empire original case.

  • We create a custom weblink for each judge and juror (hopefully, you), which will provide everything you’ll need to volunteer on competition day:

    • Case materials

    • Option to check-in

    • Link for judge orientation (Zoom meeting room)

    • Digital ballot to score the trial and provide written feedback for the students

    • Link for virtual courtroom (also a Zoom meeting room)

  • At the end of the trial, Empire’s PROcess software will tabulate the results and make your scores and written feedback available to the students.

  • Each trials last 2.5 - 3 hours and is preceded by a 30 minute orientation—you should expect to spend approximately 4 hours volunteering.

Earning NY CLE Credits

New York based attorneys are eligible to earn (3) CLE credits for completing the three parts of judging online mock trial (attend orientation, judge the trial and offer post-round feedback). The credits are subject to the following restrictions:

  • The CLE credits are non-transitional (not for newly admitted attorneys, see here)

  • You cannot earn more than (3) CLE credits for judging more than one trial (NYSBA rules, not ours)

  • Certificates are e-mailed 6-8 weeks after the competition

Ready to sign-up?

To register, click the button below and create an account on our Judge Portal (or log-in with your existing account).

What Do I Need to Judge?

  • A laptop or desktop computer. We ask that you not judge on a mobile device or tablet;

    • Note: We recommend selecting the largest screen / monitor you have available to watch the trial

  • A computer that has the Zoom application downloaded on it. In other words, one that meets Zoom’s system requirements;

  • Internet that is fast enough to support Zoom (read more here)—please test your internet connectivity before the trial;

  • Ability to print an Empire Mock Trial scorecard—while you’ll input all scores on the computer, we want you to have a hard copy of your scorecard in case of a technology failure;

  • Patience! 😊 Tech issues are inevitable and we all need to be patient and accepting them of them!

What Do I Not Need But Would Enhance My Judging Experience?

  • A second electronic device—it can be a laptop, mobile phone or tablet—to score the trial, while you are watching the students on your primary device.