Mock Trial

2023 Mock Trial Winners

This year Rensselaer County had five area high schools competing: Columbia High School, The Doane Stuart School, Emma Willard School, Hudson Valley Homeschool Consortium and Lansingburgh High School.

Co-Coordinators Jennifer C. Shatz, Esq. and Jessica B. Mocerine, Esq., wish to express their gratitude to those who served as judges: Supreme Court Justice Richard J. McNally, Jr., Troy City Court Judge Anne Coonradt, Nassau Village Judge Michael Conway, Arthur Frost, Esq., Jill Swingruber-Sprotbery, Esq., David Fronk, Esq., Michael Shanley, Esq., and Olivia Karis, Esq.

A special thanks to the Honorable Richard J. McNally, Jr., for judging our finals held on April 6, 2023, between the Hudson Valley Homeschool Consortium and Columbia High School. The Hudson Valley Homeschool Consortium was our County Champion and will move on to the Regionals to be held in Warren County.

Also thank you to Beth Muller, Chief Clerk of the Rensselaer County Courthouse and courthouse staff for all of their assistance during the tournament.

If any member is interested in serving as a legal advisor to one of the local high schools for next year’s tournament, please contact Jennifer Shatz, Esq., at jshatz@nycourts.gov
or Jessica Mocerine, Esq., at jmocerin@nycourts.gov

2024 NYS High School Mock Trial Tournament

The New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth & Citizenship Program and the New York Bar Foundation, in conjunction with the Rensselaer County Bar Association, are pleased to announce that New York’s Annual High School Mock Trial Tournament for senior high school students (grades 9-12) will be held this winter. General coordination of the activities is being provided by the New York State Bar Association’s Law, Youth & Citizenship Program.

SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY RESPONSIBILITIES

Any high schools in Rensselaer County wishing to participate may enter a single team of at least eight students, headed by one or more teacher-coaches. Other students can participate by serving as back-ups to members of the school’s first team. Junior high school students (grade 8 or below) will not be eligible for this year’s tournament. We recommend that a team have several additional students to act as substitutes, when the need arises. Selection of team members (three attorneys, three witnesses), two back-ups, and the coach/coaches are the responsibility of the school, as is transportation to and from the contest sites. The Tournament is open to all students currently in grades 9-12. If a school chooses to limit student participation for reasons of supervision or safety, this should be accomplished through an equitable “try-out” system, not through disallowing participation by one or more entire grades. Each team entered in the Mock Trial Competition is expected to conduct several practice sessions prior to the contest.

For additional information please download the Brochure.

CONTEST FORMAT/SCHEDULE

The 2024 New York State High School Mock Trial Tournament will be a two-round elimination tournament (each team will compete in at least two rounds, once as plaintiff/prosecution and once as defendant). Lawyers or trial judges will preside over the enactments in each contest round. Conducting a statewide tournament will require beginning the local competitions in early February so that the regional tournaments can be completed by no later than April 30, 2024 (Earlier dates are preferred since the State Finals will be held a week earlier this year in Albany on May 19-21, 2024).

In Rensselaer County, the trial will be held in person at the Rensselaer County Courthouse during the week and begin at 4:00 p.m.

MOCK TRIAL MATERIALS

Each school entering the tournament will receive materials, as follows:
1. A statement of the facts of the case
2. A set of witness statements
3. A discussion of rules of evidence and legal sources
4. A description of rules, policies & procedures governing the Tournament
5. A list of participating teams and teacher-coaches
6. A calendar of Tournament trial dates
7. An agreement to abide by the Tournament Rules, for your signature

The materials specified in items 1 through 4 and additional supporting information will be made
available at: www.nysba.org/nys-mock-trial/ once the case is released.

AWARDS

Members of each participating team will receive a commemorative certificate acknowledging their participation in the 2024 Tournament. In addition, a special certificate will also be awarded to each winning team member for the county and regional tournaments. In recognition of outstanding achievement, certificates will be presented in Albany to all schools that compete in the Finals of the 2024 New York Statewide High School Mock Trial Tournament. The first and second place teams in the final round will each receive a plaque acknowledging their achievement and placement in the State Finals, which will be sent to their respective schools.

In Rensselaer County, the Bar Association will recognize all teams that participate in the county tournament and award trophies to the first and second place teams at our annual Law Day Ceremony at the Rensselaer County Courthouse held in early May.

ENTRY DEADLINE

An entry form is attached which must be received by us by no later than Friday, December 22, 2023.

Please submit your entry form by email to either Jessica Mocerine or Jennifer Shatz. Contact information is below.

We look forward to your school’s participation in this outstanding educational program.

Very truly yours,
Jessica Mocerine and Jennifer Shatz
Co-Coordinators
Rensselaer County Mock Trial Tournament

Jennifer C. Shatz, Esq.
Law Clerk to the Hon. Justin Corcoran, JSC
Albany County Courthouse
16 Eagle Street
Albany, New York 12207
jshatz@nycourts.gov

Jessica B. Mocerine, Esq.
Court Attorney Referee
Third Judicial District Administrative Office
2500 Pondview
Castleton-On-Hudson, New York 12033
jmocerin@nycourts.gov

Past Mock Trial Winners

2022

2021

The Emma Willard School 2021 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions

2020

Rensselaer County Mock Trial was fortunate to complete the countywide tournament before the New York State Bar Association cancelled the Statewide 2020 Tournament Mock Trial Tournament due to the public health threat presented by COVID-19.

2019

The Doane Stuart School 2019 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions with Supreme Court Justice Richard J. McNally, Jr. along with co-coordinators Jessica Mocerine and Jennifer Shatz

2018

Columbia High School 2018 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions with County Court Judge Jennifer Sober

2017

The Emma Willard School 2017 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions with Supreme Court Justice Richard J. McNally, Jr.

2016

The Doane Stuart School 2016 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions with County Court Judge Andrew Ceresia

2015

The Doane Stuart School 2015 Rensselaer County Mock Trial Champions