The soft-cover, 200+page guidebook is printed in gorgeous full color, providing nine chapters of non-stop objection resources. Inside, you'll find hundreds of transcripts, examples, and pro tips for making and defending against every kind of objection. It's the perfect size for tossing in your bag on the way to practice or referencing a cheat sheet at counsel table during trial.For attorneys who are new to objecting, the book teaches all of the basics, from relevance and hearsay to character evidence and expert opinions. For more advanced trial advocates, the book contains explanations of everything from "extrinsic evidence" to "forfeiture by wrongdoing," plus pro tips from former national champions and practicing trial attorneys that you can use at the highest levels of competition -- or, one day, at your first real trial.Whether you're new to mock trial or beginning your career as a practicing attorney, this guidebook will keep you two steps ahead of your opponents.

Mock trials help students gain a basic understanding of the legal mechanism through which society chooses to resolve many of its disputes. Participation in mock trials helps students to understand better the roles that the various actors play in the justice system. This handbook explains how to prepare for and conduct mock trials in the classroom and introduces simplified rules of evidence and includes a sample judging form.

A mock trial may officially begin with opening statements, but experienced competitors know that the dialogue between counsel and the court beforehand can make or break their chances of prevailing. In this new edition of Mock Trials the authors have added an entire new chapter (Pretrial Matters) to explain the questions students should ask before a mock trial begins and why the answers to those questions are important. Just as in an actual trial, pre-trial matters do matter in mock trials because they can affect nearly every aspect of case preparation and presentation. First published in 2000, Mock Trials has become the leading textbook used by students and coaches to prepare for mock trial competitions. The Second Edition improves upon the first by providing students and coaches at every level with a complete step-by-step guide to preparing, presenting, and winning a mock trial. Diagrams, charts and summaries, as well as sample fact scenarios, colloquies, and arguments, are used to explain complicated concepts simply in an easy-to-follow and interesting manner. This textbook is specifically designed for use by pre-law and law students, but the legal and stylistic techniques it teaches remain applicable throughout lawyers’ careers. For high school and undergraduate students competing in mock trials or considering a career in law, Mock Trials gives a solid overview of the conduct of a trial from start to finish. It’s also perfect for mock trial coaches to use as a how-to guide.

The key to victory in a mock trial begins with preparation weeks, sometimes months, before a competitor begins their opening statement. Long before the prevailing party calls its first witness, the foundation for understanding the facts and preparing to admit and challenge the evidence is built. All the tools needed for success are laid out in this guidebook to greatness. Using diagrams, charts, and checklists, the third edition of Mock Trials provides an updated, step-by-step guide to preparing, presenting, and winning trial competitions at every level. Practice tips provide methods to demonstrate to the judge your thorough understanding of the case, the rules of evidence, and courtroom procedure. Starting with the basics of how trials work and courtrooms are set up, Mock Trials walks through the entire process, from case preparation and research, to the rules of evidence and procedure, communication skills, and pretrial motions. You will learn how to examine your witnesses, raise evidentiary objections, introduce exhibits, and cross-examine opposing witnesses, including experts. This third edition also adds guidance for serving as an effective witness and preparing witnesses to testify at trial. From the time you make your opening statement to the conclusion of your closing argument, this manual is the resource you need for the direction and confidence to succeed. It is clear enough to assist those new to trial competitions yet sufficiently robust that practicing attorneys also keep a copy on hand for easy reference. New to the Third Edition: Chapter on Witness Preparation Updated, accessible text Tables and checklists Professors and students will benefit from: Bullet-point reference review in each chapter Examples that enhance understanding

"The case files herein provide witness statements, photographs of physical evidence, police reports, charts and other demonstrative evidence, jury instructions, and additional materials that criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys would rely on to prepare a case for trial. These case files can be used for a variety of criminal pretrial litigation exercises, including: developing case theories; drafting and arguing motions; conducting pretrial and preliminary hearings; preparing witnesses for trial; and negotiating case settlements. The case files include a myriad of pretrial motion issues, such as search and seizure issues and suppressing defendants statements. This book of mock trials can effectively be used to conduct complete trials, from motions in limine to closing arguments." .

Did Goldilocks wilfully trespass and destroy the property of the three bears? What crime did the wolf commit against the three little pigs, and is the wolf obligated to repair the pigs’ homes? Was Peter Pan guilty of kidnapping? In Once Upon a Crime, students use familiar stories to experience what it is like to investigate a crime scene, uncover important facts, weave together an argument supported with evidence and witnesses, and present their findings in a trial that simulates a court hearing. They also learn about other ways of resolving conflict, such as mediation, negotiation, and restorative justice processes. Through these activities, children engage in critical thinking, hone their literacy skills, and learn about the role law plays in their lives and their rights and responsibilities as citizens. This book offers step-by-step instructions for conducting mock trials based on fairy tales and other multicultural stories. Five complete trial scripts are included for classroom use. Also included are ideas for adapting contemporary stories into civil and criminal trials, and mediation and negotiation activities. Once Upon a Crime complements the authors’ previous book, Let’s Talk About Law in Elementary School, which helps teachers integrate law-related ideas and pedagogical approaches into social studies, language arts, and science.