Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats

gene franchini high school mock trial . . .

Mock trial is an innovative, hands-on experience in the law for high school students of all ages and abilities. Every year hundreds of New Mexico teenagers and their teacher advisors and attorney coaches spend the better part of the school year researching, studying and preparing a hypothetical courtroom trial involving issues that are important and interesting to young people.

In February, the teams try their cases before judges and panels of jurors in courtrooms in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. In March, the top teams advance to state finals in Albuquerque, with the winner going on to represent the state at the national championship, held each year in a different US city.

• Review or print this year's case, Order in the Court (teaching materials), or the mock trial rules. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader© to print the materials. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, you may download it by clicking on the Adobe© icon.

• Get the mock trial rubrics for the State Department of Education's Standards and Benchmarks. REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR PRINTER ORIENTATION TO LANDSCAPE!

• Apply for the Honorable Gene E. Franchini scholarship.

• Learn more about the competition.

• Review or print tips and advice for successful participation in mock trial.

• Review the 2009-2010 program calendar.

• Register to attend the annual team training, to enter your team or to serve as a judge or administrative volunteer.

• Order prior years' original New Mexico case materials.