Rules and Procedures
Competition Rules and Procedures
I. Preparing to Compete
To participate in a Vanderbilt Mock Trial Board competition, you must sign up and pay any applicable registration fee by the deadline determined by the Mock Trial Board.
You may sign up with a partner, or you may sign up individually. If you sign up as an individual, you will be randomly paired with another individual participant.
The Vanderbilt Mock Trial Board may set a date after which no one is permitted to drop out of the competition.
II. Competition Format
Each team will compete in two preliminary rounds. Teams will argue one side of the problem during one preliminary round, and the other side of the problem during the other preliminary round.
After the preliminary rounds end, the sixteen teams with the highest combined score, taking into account both preliminary rounds, will move on to the octofinals. Note that the preliminary rounds are not head-to-head.
The top sixteen teams will be power-ranked, and matched accordingly.
The competition will proceed in a head-to-head format, producing eight quarterfinalists, four semi-finalists, two finalists, and one winner.
The octofinal, quarterfinal, and semi-final rounds will be closed to the public.
The final match will be held in Flynn Auditorium, and open to the public.
Teams must be available on both of the preliminary round days to be eligible to compete.
If a team advances beyond the preliminary rounds and cannot attend their scheduled match, that team will forfeit and their opponent will advance. The Vanderbilt Mock Trial Board will try to schedule around conflicts whenever possible.
The Vanderbilt Mock Trial Board will notify competitors as early as practicably possible the dates for all rounds of the competition.
III. Judging
Each preliminary round will have two scoring judges. One of the judges will act as a presiding judge, ruling on all motions and objections.
Each of the advanced rounds will have either one judge or a panel of three judges, depending on judge availability, who will select the winning team. Each advanced round will have one presiding judge who will rule on all motions and objections.
In extraordinary circumstances, teams will have the opportunity to lodge a formal complaint at the end of a round with the Vanderbilt Mock Trial Board’s leadership. If a team wishes to lodge a formal complaint, it must do so immediately following the round that is the subject of the complaint.
IV. Rules for Rounds
In the preliminary rounds, each team will be required to act as witnesses for other teams’ rounds. If a team competes in the morning, for example, they will serve as witnesses in the afternoon.
In the advanced rounds, teams must provide their own witnesses.
Teams will have at least five minutes to prepare their witnesses before the start of the trial.
Witnesses are permitted to have unmarked copies of their depositions on the stand.
All witnesses will be presumed under oath when they take the stand.
During the 2L competition, teams may make pre-trial motions at the presiding judge’s discretion. No such motions are permitted during the 1L competition.
Motions for summary judgment and for a directed verdict are not permitted.
Each team member must conduct one direct examination and one cross-examination of a witness, and must give either an opening or a closing statement.
If a team member is responsible for directing or crossing a witness, he or she is the only person who can make objections for that witness.
Re-direct and re-cross examinations are permitted at the presiding judge’s discretion.
Teams may not recall witnesses, or call rebuttal witnesses.
Voir dire examination of expert witnesses is permitted.
There are no formal time limits for rounds.
V. Honor Code
Teams may not solicit outside help for the competition. Doing so may be construed as an Honor Code violation.
Any questions regarding the competition should be addressed to the Vanderbilt Mock Trial board via email.