Why Online?
Bringing the Courtroom to You
Courts in the great state of Empirion are cutting edge. At Empire, you'll get a case designed for an online setting (get ready for digital exhibits), a software that connects you to your trials and displays results, and livestreams of your trials so friends and family can watch from home.
So come online with Empire, where we’ll bring the courtroom to you.
Unmatched Innovation
From custom software to innovative ways to connect with students from other schools, Empire uses technology plus years of experience running top-notch mock trial competitions to streamline your online mock trial experience and provide options for any team in any location.
PROcess
Empire’s software is designed to function as your courthouse and tab room in the cloud, handling all aspects of competition tabulation, from tallying ballots and pairing trials, to determining competition winners, award recipients, and final results.
Guest Witness
The Guest Witness (GW) program pairs together an attorney and witness who attend different schools and are on different mock trial teams. The partners meet right before the round starts in a special Zoom breakout room, and are given 20 minutes to prepare their direct.
Best Practice
Guides
Whether you want to compete together or apart, from home or at school, Empire has a program for you.
Empire offers best practice guides that help you select, and perfect, a presentation style that is right for you.
Our guides are so detailed that we’ll provide you with measurements for setting up the perfect virtual courtroom!
Empire YOU Setup
It’s up to YOU. Students can stream from different locations using their own personal devices. Judges enjoy up-close views of the students, while teams aren't required to gather in one location.
Empire ONE Setup
ONE team in ONE room. We recommend purchasing a widescreen webcam to ensure that your entire team can be captured clearly in one camera shot. Judges enjoy the more realistic courtroom setup.
Bringing the
Courtroom to You
From constructing your virtual courtroom, to presenting like a pro, Empire Online has all of your bases covered. When you join us, you'll receive —
A setup guide explaining how to setup your virtual courtroom;
Best practices for how to present in Empirion, including where to stand (attorney) and where to sit (witness);
Resources for how to present exhibits and keep time;
Livestreams of your trials with recordings saved for the future;
Clear guidance on how Empirion handles student and judge connectivity issues.
An Empire Experience
Our programs go beyond the courtroom. Starting and ending with our signature Opening and Closing Ceremonies, with Team Game Nights, Dances, Events, and Public Service projects in between. We want to help our students connect with peers from around the world both inside and outside the courtroom.
Live Ceremonies
Empire alumnus, Oscar Samios, hosted the Empire NY ceremonies from Sydney, Australia.
Service Projects
Students created cards and letters for first responders, to thank them for their service.
Events + Entertainment
Chicago's Second City and New York's Magnet Theater might have performed virtually, but that didn't stop our students from laughing in person.
From Our
Coaches
“Empire brought all of the passion and professionalism of their in person tournaments to Empire Online. Empire invested in technology to make online trials a breeze. Their software allows teams to easily join courtrooms and to quickly see ballots and comments after rounds without the need for a physical tab room. I’d strongly recommend Empire Online to teams looking for an “in person” experience online.”
Eric Strauss
Apple Valley High School | Apple Valley, MN
2019 Minnesota State Champion
High-Level Competition
There’s no substitute for experience. At Empire, you’ll compete against well-prepared mock trial teams, using a case that is topical, as well as legally and socially complex. When your Empire experience is over, you’ll return to your local competition feeling confident and ready to excel.
2023 Season Profile
Nationals (NHSMTC) took place on May 19-20, 2023
20
Empire teams competed at Nationals
8
Teams that competed last fall placed in the Top 20
4
Teams that competed within the last 2 years placed in the Top 10
Empire Stardust
October 16-28