Coaches play a critical role in giving students direct exposure to the judicial system, encouraging responsible citizenship, and teaching students to look at issues from different perspectives. As students prepare to compete, coaches ensure that Mock Trial is a positive experience which emphasizes learning, ethics and sportsmanship.

Mock Trial Attorney Coach responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Work with Teacher Coach to develop a plan for instructing and coaching students on legal issues, case preparation, and courtroom presentation.
2. Work with Teacher Coach to select team members and make assignments including case materials and roles.
3. Recruit scoring and presiding judges for Rounds 1-5.
4. Attend practice sessions, scrimmages, and official rounds of competition. Confirm schedules with Teacher Coach.
5. Communicate with Attorney Coaches from other schools as needed.
6. Be aware of competition rules and guidelines and communicate them to students and judging recruits.

Coaches play a critical role in giving students direct exposure to the judicial system, encouraging responsible citizenship, and teaching students to look at issues from different perspectives. As students prepare to compete, coaches ensure that Mock Trial is a positive experience which emphasizes learning, ethics and sportsmanship.

General

The Mock Trial Teacher Coach has two areas of primary responsibility:

1. To handle all logistics of student participation on a school team.
2. To serve as liaison with the county coordinator, parents and school site officials.

The Teacher Coach may also have instruction and coaching responsibilities, depending on the individual arrangements made with the attorney coach for each school team. Specific Mock Trial Teacher Coach responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Logistics

1. Work with Attorney Coach to select team members and make assignments, including case materials and roles.
2. Confirm that team members meet school’s academic and other requirements for participation in co-curricular activities.
3. Organize, schedule and supervise practice sessions and other team activities in conjunction with attorney coach.
4. Make sure all contacts and paperwork are completed for competition dates including student contracts, parent approvals, school calendar confirmations, and judge confirmations.
5. Coordinate team fundraising efforts as needed.

Communication

1. Be aware of competition rules and guidelines and communicate them to students, parents, and others.
2. Communicate with Teacher Coaches from other schools regarding scrimmages and arrangements for Rounds 1-4.
3. Serve as team liaison with county office, including attendance at all meetings, meeting all deadlines, and timely completion of all paperwork.
4. Keep school publications up-to-date regarding all aspects of team participation and progress. (KCSOS will handle press releases and media advisories on overall competition.)
5. Inform parents of practice schedules, out-of-town travel, and other requirements for participation.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 • Kern County Regional Round 1
Wednesday, January 8, 2025 • Kern County Regional Round 2
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 • Kern County Regional Round 3

Update contact information
Contact: Alicia Mil, Instructional Service Support, at (661) 636-4573 or almil@kern.org

A team of students, with the help of a teacher coach and a volunteer attorney coach, prepares and presents the trial from the perspectives of the prosecution and the defense. There are many different roles for Mock Trial team members, including trial attorneys, pretrial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and bailiffs. During Mock Trial, school teams prosecute or defend a simulated case prepared by the Constitutional Rights Foundation for use in the California Mock Trial Competition.

The Kern County Mock Trial Program has over 450 Kern County student participants. Through role-playing techniques, these students learn about the content and processes of law in an exciting and vibrant way. By studying the case and preparing strategies and arguments for trial, students also increase basic and public speaking skills, analytic ability, and team competition skills.

Each year Mock Trial teams are presented with a new set of Mock Trial materials, focusing on important issues facing America’s youth. Mock Trial materials include a hypothetical criminal case (including summaries of case law, witness statements, official exhibits, and simplified rules of evidence), lesson plans on central issues in that case, and competition rules and guidelines. Under the guidance of teachers and attorney coaches, students will use critical thinking and interpersonal skills to prepare and argue their cases.