Mock Trial, sometimes called moot court, is a team-based type of legal competition that is practiced at every educational level, from middle school to graduate school. Participants in Collegiate Mock Trial assume the roles of both attorneys and witnesses, using critical thinking, debate skills, and a thorough knowledge of trial law to compete against other schools in full..."mock" trials. Most mock trial tournaments typically involve a series of trial competitions. Each trial consists of two teams of six people, with one team representing the plaintiff and one team representing the defense. Competitors take the roles of witnesses and attorneys, performing opening statements, closing statements, and direct and cross examinations before a panel of scoring judges. Competition for the entire academic year revolves around a single civil or criminal case, which is released by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). This year's case is a murder mystery set amidst the fast-paced movie industry of State Center, Midlands.

The Harvard Mock Trial Association is a highly competitive and highly successful student-run non-profit legal organization at Harvard College. Members improve their debate skills, public speaking ability, and knowledge of the law by participating in teams at intercollegiate mock trial competitions across the nation. Harvard's program has been ranked in the top ten nationwide for the last three consecutive years, while a number of attorneys and witnesses have won individual awards throughout the competitive season

This success in competition, combined with the recent expansion of the Harvard Mock Trial Association from two to four teams, has led the organization to pursue a number of initiatives outside of competition. The most recent of these initiatives are a college invitational tournament, the Crimson Classic, and a mock trial seminar for high school students, the High School Seminar Program.

Through both our intercollegiate competitive activities and our high school and college level programs, the Harvard Mock Trial Association aims to provide the most meaningful learning experiences possible for those students interested in legal issues. We pride ourselves on helping our participants refine their longer term career goals - whether or not these should eventually encompass formal legal work - by providing some of the earliest and most realistic exposure to the world of trial law, through hands-on exposure to litigation, trial advocacy and analytical casework, all in an incredibly fun and team based environment.