The Virginia and Washington, DC, High School mock trial program began competition in 1992 and has sent 22 teams to the national tournament since. Thousands of Virginia and Washington DC high school students have been learning about the law, developing critical thinking and speaking skills and, most importantly, having fun for over 30 years.
But, if you are considering participating as a student or a teacher coach, it can feel intimidating at first.
Where do I begin? What do all these legal terms mean? How do I make sure my team doesn’t get embarrassed?
Mock Trial is designed to be coached by a teacher AND an attorney. Unfortunately, it can be hard to recruit a local lawyer to volunteer to help your team. Even if you find an attorney who is willing to help, they may not be familiar with the unique rules and procedures of Iowa mock trial and they may not be available at the time and the place when your team needs them.
The powerhouse mock trial teams that tend to succeed year after year have one thing in common - they are well-coached. There is no denying that mock trial teams with access to an experienced attorney coach tend to have a leg up in competition.
How do we level the playing field so that your team of dedicated, bright students can successfully compete without access to a veteran mock trial attorney coach?
Joe Semelroth, the creator behind Mock Trial 101, giving his closing argument during the 2019 middle school mock trial state championships.
That’s exactly why BenGlassLaw decided to create a free online course called Virginia Mock Trial Mastery.
Virginia Mock Trial Mastery can be completed anywhere and at any time. It offers short video lessons on every important aspect of mock trial taught by real Virginia lawyers with track records of success in the courtroom.
By the end of Virginia Mock Trial Mastery, you will know how to prepare every part of a mock trial, know how to perform complex legal procedures like introducing evidence and making objections, and most importantly, know what you must do to score that elusive “10” in competition.
While Virginia Mock Trial Mastery will walk you through every necessary step after you get your mock trial case file, you don’t have to watch all 40+ lessons if you don’t want (or need) to. Virginia Mock Trial Mastery is designed to be a 24-hour buffet that you can sample whenever you wish. Any lesson in Mock Trial Mastery is accessible even if you haven’t completed the previous lesson. You can get a quick refresher on the character evidence rule just as easily as you can have an attorney coach teach you how to structure your opening statement.
Virginia Mock Trial Mastery is useful to everyone, even teams who have an attorney coach. Unlike a normal lawyer coach with a busy schedule, Virginia Mock Trial Mastery is available 24/7 because it is free and the only thing you need for access is an email address and an internet connection. Students can access Virginia Mock Trial Mastery on their phones and have an “attorney coach in their pocket” whenever they need a rule or concept explained.
This course is for you if:
- You are a teacher who needs a reliable way to teach the basics of mock trial to your students
- You are a student who wants to learn about mock trial for the first time or who is interested in improving your understanding of Virginia mock trial rules and procedures so you can have success in competition
Meet Your Instructors:
The real life lawyers from BenGlassLaw who teach Virginia Mock Trial Mastery
Ben Glass
Ben is a 1983 graduate of the George Mason University School of Law (after attending William and Mary for undergraduate work). Since that time he has practiced exclusively in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, and ERISA and private disability insurance law. Today, Mr. Glass concentrates his practice in representing those who are injured by others or who have been denied disability or life insurance benefits. More than a lawyer, Ben Glass is a “life coach” to many of his clients. He has been featured in or quoted by Lawyers Weekly Virginia, The Washington Post, Washington Post Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, ABC News Online, Wall Street Journal, and "The Next Big Thing" Radio Show. Mr. Glass has been interviewed on television, including ABC, NBC, and Fox.
Brian Glass
Brian attended James Madison University. After college, he attended law school at the College of William & Mary, where he was named a Benjamin Rush Scholar for excellence in Health Law & Policy. Brian is licensed to practice in Virginia and Maryland. He is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. He was recently named as one of the Top 40 Under 40 in Virginia by the National Trial Lawyers Association. He also holds the distinction of being designated as a Rising Star by SuperLawyers magazine each year from 2017 - 2023. This award recognizes only the top 2.5% of lawyers in the state. Brian is a thought leader on the topic of building great businesses. He has been interviewed by Forbes and by Injury Experts and has been a guest on podcasts such as Tribe of Millionaires, Dreamcatchers, Millionaire Mindcast, and Law Firm Movers and Shakers
Damon Miller
Damon has managed cases for disabled clients from Hawaii to New York to Virginia and just about everywhere in-between. Damon is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he worked full-time as a paralegal while simultaneously taking a full-time college course load. He then graduated from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at William & Mary. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Fairfax Bar Association, and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
Lisa Derco
Lisa is a seasoned litigator with nearly a decade of experience advocating for clients in courts across Virginia. Lisa, a Pittsburgh native, attended Penn State University and later enrolled at the Catholic University of America School of Law where she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy. Prior to joining BenGlassLaw, she spent nine years as a defense attorney at a major insurance company, where she litigated thousands of cases to completion. At BenGlassLaw, Lisa leverages her “insider” knowledge of how the insurance industry operates to benefit her clients.
Virginia Mock Trial Mastery Curriculum
- Lesson 1 - What is Direct Examination (0:54)
- Lesson 2 - How to Write a Direct Examination (2:16)
- Lesson 3 - Writing A Direct Examination for an Expert Witness (3:43)
- Lesson 4 - Redirect (3:20)
- Lesson 5 - Refreshing Recollection (3:33)
- Lesson 6 - How to Score a 10 as a Lawyer on Direct Examination (3:57)
- Lesson 10 - Opinion Testimony (3:16)
- Lesson 1 - Relevance (3:56)
- Lesson 2 - Unfair Predjudice (3:13)
- Lesson 3 - Hearsay (2:34)
- Lesson 4 - Non-Hearsay Statements (3:55)
- Lesson 5 - Hearsay Exceptions (4:11)
- Lesson 6 - Hearsay Exceptions: Declarant Unavailable (4:43)
- Lesson 7 - Character Evidence (6:24)
- Lesson 8 - Habit (2:16)
- Lesson 9 - Mode and Order of Interrogation (2:45)
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course start and finish?
The course starts when you sign up and never ends, it is completely self paced.
Can I really take Virginia Mock Trial Mastery in one afternoon?
Yes, the total runtime of every lesson is just under 3 hours!
What if I have no prior experience with Mock Trial?
The goal of Virginia Mock Trial Mastery is to help people, just like you, who have never done Mock Trial before, learn the basics of the activity, so that is completely fine.
What if I have no attorney coach to help me?
Virginia Mock Trial Mastery is designed to be an attorney coach in your pocket - it can walk you through the basics better than an attorney who has no mock trial experience.
Should I still do Mock Trial Mastery even if I have participated in mock trial before?
Yes, Mock Trial Mastery is the perfect preseason refresher on all the legal concepts you understand, but may have forgotten over the offseason. Also, Mock Trial Mastery can be a great resource when you sit down to start writing your parts.
Should I still do Mock Trial Mastery if I have an attorney coach?
Yes, it is always helpful to get another perspective, especially if your attorney coach is not always available whenever you need an explanation.