Applications are Now Open!

It’s a new year.  A new season.  And a new voice for the Empire Family.

We are officially On The Record at Empire Mock Trial, and I am excited to welcome you to our new home. Expect news stories, student spotlights, and enriching content to supplement our case. But more importantly, expect to learn! Together, we’ll learn about the law, the Empire case, and our Empire Family.

With OTR’s debut, it is time to announce the 2018 season! We have some big things in store for you in 2018 that I can summarize in three areas: (1) more financial aid; (2) rule changes that will make your life easier; and (3) new venues for two of our sites, one of which introduces an entirely new Empire experience. As a good (mock) lawyer would, I am going to handle each one a time.

More Financial Aid

We are more than doubling our financial aid this year! Our three need-based scholarships, offered since 2016, will now include 12 free hotel room nights at the Competition Hotel. We’re also offering scholarships for select schools located in the same state as their Empire Competition, in an effort to give back to the local communities in which we operate. You can read about our financial aid expansion on our site, and stay tuned for a story here On The Record.

Rule Changes that will make your Life Easier

This year, you’ll find simpler procedures for the Guest Witness role (hint: the same student can GW in the same role in more than one trial), more flexibility for teams to manage their attorney roles (hint: pick 3 or 4 attorneys to serve in a round), and even some changes to the pre-trial argument (hint: you may be faced with a motion that is not related to a piece of evidence in the case). As with all of our changes, our goal is to make your trials more competitive, more educational and more engaging!  Take a look at our site to learn more!

New Venues

We love courthouses. We’ve hosted in them for over a decade. But we are trying something new in 2018 and hosting a mock trial competition in…

A convention center! I am thrilled to share with you that Empire Atlanta IV will take place in the spacious Georgia World Congress Center (“GWCC”), located in the heart of Atlanta. Why the switch, you may ask?  It’s the right facility, in the right city, in the right location; in other words, it’s the perfect fit. Students will walk out the front of the hotel, cross the street, and enter the GWCC. It is a 3-minute walk from door-to-door! Additionally, the conference rooms are spacious, there are no security lines and there are no restrictions on electronic devices. We’re also pairing this new venue with a new hotel that features a more intimate atmosphere.  We can’t wait to introduce you to the all-new Empire Atlanta!

The courthouse experience will still be available at our other competitions. In San Francisco, we are moving right around the corner to Superior Court, located across the street from beautiful City Hall park. Featuring more spacious and modern courtrooms, we are confident that this courthouse will provide a professional, but more relaxed, environment than its federal counterpart. Students will make their way from the Parc 55 Hilton Hotel to the Court on comfy buses, a tweak that we’ve made to our itinerary based on your feedback. 

Last, but not least, our annual global collection of talent, Empire New York, is back in Times Square for its third year! We are still working out logistics with the local courts, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we have more details. 

Apply Now for the 2018 Season

Start your application for the 2018 season today! Remember, we accept schools on a rolling basis so the sooner you apply the better. Just click on the APPLY link below to learn more about the 2018 season and to get started on your application.

Apply Now

The 2018 Competition Schedules are listed below. The dates provided are from Friday (when our Opening Ceremony starts) to Monday (when our Championship Round is held). Scrimmage rooms are always available on the Thursday before the Competition, and teams often arrive before or after the listed dates to practice and/or sight see.

EMPIRE ATLANTA

September 21-24, 2018

Trial Venue:
Georgia World Congress Center

Hotel:
Embassy Suites at Centennial Park by Hilton

EMPIRE SAN FRANCISCO

October 26-29, 2018

Trial Venue:
San Francisco Superior Court

Hotel:
Parc 55 Hilton

EMPIRE NEW YORK

November 16-19, 2018

Trial Venue:
T.B.D.

Hotel:
Crowne Plaza Times Square

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Hi everyone! My name is Tom Faiella, I am the editor-in-chief of On The Record, and I am thrilled to be working with Empire Mock Trial. I have had the good fortune to be involved with mock trial programs–as a competitor, coach, and judge–for more than fifteen years at high school, college, and law school. During the past few years, I worked as a lawyer and judicial clerk, gaining experience that I look forward to putting into my work with Empire.