American Mock Trial Invitational
Encyclopedia
The American Mock Trial Invitational (AMTI) is a national mock trial
competition for high schools
in the United States
, created and administered by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.
The competition was created in 2006 to provide an alternative for state champions with weekend religious obligations to compete on a national basis. The Torah Academy of Bergen County
from Teaneck, New Jersey
had won its state's 2005 competition, but faced difficulties in its ultimately successful effort to gain accommodations to participate in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina
without being required to compete during the Jewish Sabbath. While this competition continues to grow, it is still significantly smaller than the more established National High School Mock Trial Championship
.
The inaugural event, in 2006, was held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
on weekdays. Redlands High School
of Redlands, California
narrowly edged Middle Township High School
from Middle Township, New Jersey
by a score of 5-4 in the finals to win the event.
The 2007 competition took place at the New Jersey Law Center of Rutgers University
at its Douglass/Cook campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey
, on Wednesday, May 2, through Friday, May 4. The dates had been chosen to avoid conflicts with Saturday or Sunday religious observance, proms and Advanced Placement Program
(AP) exams.
The 2007 American Mock Trial Invitational winners were a group of home-schooled students representing Family Christian Academy-Tennessee (FCA) from Chattanooga, Tennessee
.
The 2008 AMTI winners represented David H. Hickman High School, a public high school in Columbia, Missouri
.
The 2009 AMTI winners were Menlo School
, a college preparatory school from Atherton, California
.
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
competition for high schools
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, created and administered by the New Jersey State Bar Foundation and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.
The competition was created in 2006 to provide an alternative for state champions with weekend religious obligations to compete on a national basis. The Torah Academy of Bergen County
Torah Academy of Bergen County
Torah Academy of Bergen County is a four-year yeshiva high school located in Teaneck, in Bergen County, New Jersey. It utilizes a split-schedule day offering both Jewish studies and college preparatory courses...
from Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
had won its state's 2005 competition, but faced difficulties in its ultimately successful effort to gain accommodations to participate in the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
without being required to compete during the Jewish Sabbath. While this competition continues to grow, it is still significantly smaller than the more established National High School Mock Trial Championship
National High School Mock Trial Championship
The National High School Mock Trial Championship is an American nationwide competition of high school mock trial teams. The competition debuted in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin....
.
The inaugural event, in 2006, was held at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
on weekdays. Redlands High School
Redlands High School
Redlands High School is located in Redlands, California, United States. Founded in 1891, it is the oldest public high school in the State of California still functioning on its original site and the first "unified high school" formed from three elementary school districts...
of Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
narrowly edged Middle Township High School
Middle Township High School
Middle Township High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Middle Township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Middle Township Public Schools...
from Middle Township, New Jersey
Middle Township, New Jersey
Middle Township is a township in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 16,405....
by a score of 5-4 in the finals to win the event.
The 2007 competition took place at the New Jersey Law Center of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
at its Douglass/Cook campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, on Wednesday, May 2, through Friday, May 4. The dates had been chosen to avoid conflicts with Saturday or Sunday religious observance, proms and Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
(AP) exams.
The 2007 American Mock Trial Invitational winners were a group of home-schooled students representing Family Christian Academy-Tennessee (FCA) from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
.
The 2008 AMTI winners represented David H. Hickman High School, a public high school in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
.
The 2009 AMTI winners were Menlo School
Menlo School
Menlo School, also referred to simply as Menlo, is an independent college preparatory school in Atherton, California, near the heart of Silicon Valley. Menlo comprises a middle school that includes grades 6–8 and a high school that includes grades 9–12...
, a college preparatory school from Atherton, California
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton's zip code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
.