Program Report: Idaho Mock Trial Offers Important Civic Education for Idaho Students by Carey A. Shoufler

September 30, 2024 by ccarns
Mock Trial Logo by the Idaho Law Foundation
An Overview of the Program

Each year, more than 30,000 U.S. high school students immerse themselves in the inner workings of our judicial system in preparation for their state’s mock trial competitions. While most attorneys are at least somewhat familiar with how mock trial works, by way of review, mock trial teams involve six to nine students who work with attorney and teacher coaches to prepare a hypothetical legal case.

During competitions, teams present their cases in front of a panel of judges and jury members who score their performances and provide feedback for teams. From opening statements through closing arguments, each team has its own attorneys and witnesses and must be prepared to try both sides of the case.

Given the fundamental place of law in American society, mock trial is one of the most important civic education programs available, encouraging young people to know how our legal system functions, how law affects them, and in turn, how they can have an impact on the legal system.

Through participation in this program, young people are given a hands-on opportunity to examine the legal process and current legal issues while they develop important critical thinking, research, and presentation skills.

Mock trials also encourages the involvement of outside resource persons. Legal professionals become role models for young people as they share their expertise with these students.

Idaho’s Program

Idaho has hosted mock trial as part of the Idaho Law Foundation’s Law Related Education Program since 1987. Our state’s competition includes regional competitions in February in the Treasure Valley, North Idaho, and Eastern Idaho. The top teams from regional competitions move on to the state competition in March and Idaho’s state champion represents Idaho at the national championship in May.

For 2024, 352 high school students from 32 teams registered to participate in the mock trial competition. Additionally, 186 teachers, judges, attorneys, and other community leaders donated their time to serve as coaches, advisors, judges, and competition staff.

Over the years, Idaho’s mock trial program has included additional elements to expand the opportunities for participation. Courtroom Artist Contest: Since 2013, Idaho has hosted a courtroom artist contest. The contest is open to students in grades 9 to 12 and allows artistically talented students the opportunity to participate in the mock trial program. Artists can be part of an existing mock trial team but the contest is also open to students from schools that do not have a mock trial team. Artists observe trials and submit sketches that depict actual courtroom scenes. The program has grown over the years and in 2024, 12 students from all parts of Idaho entered the contest. The top student from Idaho represents Idaho at the National Courtroom Artist Contest. In the nine years that Idaho artists have participated, our artists have finished in the top five nationally three times. Civility & Ethics Award: In 2019, Idaho’s mock trial program partnered with the Professionalism & Ethics Section to develop the Civility & Ethics Award. The award was created to highlight the importance of civility and professionalism among teams participating in mock trial. During the state competitions teams observe and interact with each other and each team submits their nomination for the award based on criteria like interacting in a courteous manner, playing fairly and graciously in both victory and defeat, and being fully honest in all communications during trials. The team selected by their peers as the winner receives their award at a ceremony at the state competition.
New Additions

During 2025, Idaho Mock Trial will continue to grow our program.

  • Middle School Mock Trial: Idaho’s mock trial program is developing a middle school mock trial program that will debut in Fall 2025. The program will combine middle school students’ love of argument with an appreciation of good books. The program is aligned with Idaho learning standards for social studies and language arts.

Curriculum materials are developed as a unit for middle school language arts classes with case materials constructed from books most commonly read in the middle grades. The end of the unit culminates with a showcase in real courtrooms where students introduce their cases as in front of a presiding judge and a panel of jurors. For 2025, the case will be based on The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

  • Courtroom Journalist Contest: The Courtroom Journalist Contest allows students to experience a courtroom setting from the perspective of a news reporter reporting on a case. Participating students observe and report on their schools’ mock trials and submit articles depicting the courtroom trial they observed. Similar to the Courtroom Artist Contest, the top Courtroom Journalist student has the opportunity to represent Idaho at the National Courtroom Journalist Contest.
How You Can Help

Idaho’s mock trial program is grateful for the many volunteers and sponsors who have helped drive the success of our program throughout our history. We couldn’t do what we do without the attorneys, organizations, and other community members who generously give of their time and money to support our program.

The needs of the mock trial program are practical. We need volunteers to coach teams, judge competitions, write case materials, and manage all the competition logistics. We need sponsors to help underwrite program expenses with a goal to defray the costs teams must pay to participate.

As we plan for the 2025 mock trial season, we would welcome your support. For more information, visit idahomocktrial.org or contact Carey Shoufler, Idaho Law Foundation Law Related Education Director, at cshoufler@isb.idaho.gov.

Coach's story • October 2024 For 30 years, Carey A. Shoufler has worked in education and communication in an array of settings. In her current role, Carey has spent the last 17 years working as the Law Related Education Director for the Idaho Law Foundation. Carey utilizes her experience as an educator to provide leadership and management for a statewide civic education program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Mills College in Oakland, California and her master’s degree in instructional design from Boise State University. A native Idahoan, Carey returned to Boise in 1999 after working for 13 years as a teacher and educational administrator in Boston. When not working, Carey likes to walk her dogs, knit, read, bake pies, and spend time with her grandchildren. “When Idaho’s Mock Trial Director, Carey Shoufler, announced that the Ambrose School won the 2024 Idaho Mock Trial Championship, our team experienced many emotions. Surprise. Pride. Gratitude. Joy. We had spent the last four months preparing for this outcome. We will take a little time to decompress and enjoy the accomplishments we achieved. But, at the same time we know we’re not done yet. The honor and privilege to now represent the State of Idaho at the National Competition takes center stage in all of our lives. We have to raise the funds we’ll need to participate in nationals (an average of about $10,000 each year we’ve participated), book travel, and figure out how we are going to prepare to participate on a national level in a very short six-week period. And all of this is happening while our students are trying to juggle preparing for finals, usually the week we get back from nationals. Fortunately for Ambrose, the Idaho Law Foundation will have our back throughout this process. From providing some of the funds to cover our expenses, to reviewing the national case and providing detailed notes to the team, to recruiting judges and attorneys to attend practices and scrimmages to help us fine tune our performances, Idaho’s mock trial program has always been there for our team. The competition itself is an amazing experience for our team. It’s always rewarding to face other teams who are masters at their craft, and mock trial is no exception. After an awards gala where the top teams are announced, it’s finally time for bed and for a short rest before arriving at the airport at 4AM to make our first flight back home, knowing that our students have had a once in a lifetime opportunity.” 2024 Idaho Mock Trial Champions from the Ambrose School, Traveling to the National Championship. Nick Duncan, Mock Trial Team Coach, The Ambrose School.

Headshot of Carey Shoufler.

For 30 years, Carey A. Shoufler has worked in education and communication in an array of settings. In her current role, Carey has spent the last 17 years working as the Law Related Education Director for the Idaho Law Foundation. Carey utilizes her experience as an educator to provide leadership and management for a statewide civic education program.

She obtained her bachelor’s degrees in English literature from Mills College in Oakland, California and her master’s degree in instructional design from Boise State University. A native Idahoan, Carey returned to Boise in 1999 after working for 13 years as a teacher and educational administrator in Boston. When not working, Carey likes to walk her dogs, knit, read, bake pies, and spend time with her grandchildren.