High School Mock Trial Team
Compass has a high school Mock Trial team! The team participates in the Virginia High School Mock Trial Competition through the Virginia Law-Related Education Institute (VLRE). The team was founded in 2017 and has been highly-ranked every year. The team has placed as high as 2nd in Virginia. Several Compass team members have received awards for outstanding individual performances. Read below for more information.
About
Mock Trial provides students with an “authentic project-based courtroom experience” with substantial work as a team while honing personal skills in logic, debate, public speaking, and learning about the American judicial system. The Compass Mock Trial team follows the Virginia High School Mock Trial Program of VLRE, which falls under the governance of the National High School Mock Trial Championship.
Membership
The team typically accepts several new members for each school year. The ideal team member will have experience in public speaking, debate, or acting and strong presentation and speaking skills along with an interest in the law. Each May, the team hosts an information session ahead of auditions in June. Depending on their experience and open spots on the team, new members will be asked to join as performers or alternates/understudies.
Eligibility
In accordance with national rules for teams and Compass policy, mock trial is only open to current, registered Compass high school students. Candidates must be homeschooled students in 9th-12th grade. Students must maintain their Compass enrollment throughout the mock trial year. Motivated 8th graders may be considered.
Meeting Schedule/Commitment
The Mock Trial team meets in-person every Wednesday from 5:00pm- 7:00pm virtually and every Friday from 5:00pm-7:00pm in person at Compass. The meeting schedule runs from mid-September through early March, but the team may meet over the summer at the discretion of the team captain(s). The team participates in a regional competition in January/February and a state competition in March/April.
The mock trial team is a substantial commitment and interested members should be prepared to dedicate 4-5 hours per week. All members will be expected to participate in all practices/strategy sessions.
Registration
Team members must register through the Compass Activity Fees page. The dues for the 2024-2025 school year will be approximately $250-$300 to cover the cost of team registration, team expenses, and hotel fees for the coaches.
Contact
Interested students should direct all questions to CompassMockTrial@gmail.com.