Purpose
The goal of the Judicial Program is to expose Missouri youth to the judicial process, from participation in trials as attorneys and witnesses, to developing leadership skills through mentoring and serving as Judges in those trials. The focus of the students’ work during the fall is on learning and practicing the various parts of a trial, and developing the case you work on throughout the semester.

Structure
You will choose a partner and act in the role of Attorneys, preparing a case for a trial. You will try the case before a two or three judge panel against another team from your school. If for some reason you do not have enough students for this intramural trial, we will work it out so you try your case against another school. You also will need to secure two witnesses for your trial. You may choose other Judicial Program participants from your delegation or other YIG participants. You will try this case on the first afternoon or evening of Day 1 of the State Convention. Your Judges will render a written decision declaring the winner of the trial.

On the evening of Day 1 of the State Convention, materials will be distributed for a second case, to be tried in a trial competition on Days 2 and 3 of the State Convention. When you register for the program, you will have a choice regarding whether you want to be an attorney or a witness in this trial competition. If you choose the role of Attorney, you will be paired up with a partner from another participating school at the convention to prepare and try the second case in the trial competition to a two or three judge panel. If there are not enough students signed up to be witnesses, we may have to use you as a witness if you are a first year participant.

If you want to be a Judge, you need to apply on the YIG website by the deadline specified in the Key Deadlines which are also online. In order to eligible to apply to be a Judge, you must have one year of experience in the program. If you are a Judge, you may also participate as part of a trial team in the trial competition if you so choose.

You will try the case two times against different opponents; then, the Judges not participating in the trial competition as attorneys will choose four (4) teams to move on to the semi-final round. The Judges will choose the winners of the semi-final rounds, and those winners will then move on to the final round. The semi-final and final rounds will take place on Day 3 of the State Convention, Saturday morning, at the Missouri Supreme Court Building.

Roles
The main role for all Judicial participants is that of an attorney. All program participants act in this role as they try the mock case on the first day of the State Convention. During the moot trial competition, students have an opportunity to take on the role of an attorney or a witness.

Students may also apply to serve as a judge. Applications for judge are due by October 15, 2008. Selections are made by the Program Coordinators. Judges preside over the trials at the State Convention. A student selected as a judge must also prepare a trial brief and try a case as an attorney.

The Judicial Program is led by a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who is selected at the previous State Convention by the student judges. The Chief Justice serves as a mentor to all judges and judicial participants.

Judicial Documents
Click here to review the YIG Handbooks and Judicial Program Documents. These documents may be useful in your preparation for the State Convention, especially with reviewing the case and developing your trial brief.

Related Links
Click here for links to other websites that may be of interest to you.