Courtroom Journalist Competition

The Courtroom Journalist Competition allows students to experience a courtroom setting from the perspective of a news reporter and learn about the American legal system from actual judges and attorneys. Through the voice of a newspaper reporter reporting on a criminal case, students observe and report on their team’s mock trials. Students have 24 hours to submit an article describing the courtroom drama.

Courtroom journalist competition rules

  • All contestants must be affiliated with a participating mock trial team.

  • All participants must complete the entry fee form.

  • Contestants authorize the publication or reprinting of their contest submissions for educational purposes.  No financial compensation will be awarded.

  • Contestants may only watch and report on their own team’s trials.

  • All contestants are invited to watch their team’s first round. But contestants must write their articles based on their team’s Round 2 trial.

  • Submissions should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins, double-spaced, and a page limit of two pages. Any articles over two pages will not be read.

  • Submitted articles should be in the voice of a reporter covering a trial.

Judging components

  • Collect your “Press Badge”/nametag at the school check-in table, if applicable.

  • During the trials, journalists must sit away from the scorers and witnesses.

  • Introduce yourself to the scorers (they will be sitting in the jury box) and the presider (she/he will be sitting on the bench).

  • Once you are seated, you may not have any contact with anyone from your school, including coaches, students, or teachers. You must draft your article independently. 

  • All contestants must complete their articles by 12:00 noon the day following round 2.

  • Contestants may refer to the mock trial case materials, the journalism contest rules, and judging criteria during the contest.

  • Journalist awards are independent of the school’s results from the mock trial competition. Individuals may win a journalism award regardless of their mock trial team’s final ranking.

  • The results of the Courtroom Journalist Competition will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Tips and ideas

  • Use the inverted pyramid structure. Put the most newsworthy information in the first paragraph (called the “lead” or “lede”). The lead should summarize the what, who, when, where, why, and how of the story. the remainder should follow in order of importance.

    • Headline: Convey the story’s main idea

    • Lead paragraph: Who, what, when, why, and how

    • Important and interesting facts

    • Less important information

  • Be impartial: this is not an opinion piece! Report the facts and opinions of others.

  • Avoid long sentences. This is not a scholarly essay.

  • Cite your sources: if you mention quotes or other information from a witness or lawyer, quote them and explain who they are.

  • Read this sample story from the California Courtroom Journalist Competition to see an example.