Judge & Juror Registration

Sapphire League (May 16-17) - Spring 2026

Welcome

The first weekend of the Empire Spring Leagues is scheduled for May 16-17. You can volunteer for one trial or several—it is entirely up to you!

We'd love to have you judge any round this weekend. However, if possible, please register for Round 3—we are especially short volunteers for that round.

Please carefully review the below message prior to registering. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out; we can be reached at judge@empiremocktrial.org or 917-426-3631.

We are incredibly grateful for your time and desire to serve.


Your Role

We are looking for volunteers to serve as either presiding judges or scoring jurors:

  • A juror carefully listens to the presentations, scores the trial, and provides written and verbal feedback for the students.
  • A presiding judge sits on the bench, conducts the proceedings, likely scores the trial (but may not), and provides students with written and verbal feedback. Serving as a presiding judge requires more preparation time than a juror, as there are additional materials to review.

If you'd like to preside, we will try our best to honor your preference. However, we typically receive more requests to preside than available spots. When you register, you will be able to indicate your role preference.


Eligibility

If you are a law student, attorney, or sitting judge, you are eligible to serve as a judge or juror. For everyone else, you are eligible to volunteer if you fall into one of the following categories:

  • Current or former mock trial coach with at least two years of coaching experience;
  • College student with at least two years of collegiate mock trial experience; or
  • College graduate with at least two years of mock trial experience at any level.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please feel free to reach out.