The annual P.A.D. Law School Mock Trial Competition is an opportunity to practice your trial advocacy skills in a courtroom setting. Students develop skills including creative problem solving, effective collaboration, forming a persuasive argument, public speaking, critical thinking, and thinking on your feet.
The 2026 Competition, P.A.D.'s 18th year hosting this event, will be held February 26-28, 2026 in Arlington, VA. Registration will open at noon on Monday, October 20, 2025.
The Competition provides the opportunity for teams comprised of 4 P.A.D. Law Chapter members each to compete on a national level, not just within your local community. Students compete for first through fourth place, with additional honors for outstanding defense, prosecution, advocates, and witnesses awarded. The competition is judged by volunteer lawyers & judges (both P.A.D. alumni and non-members) and Mock Trial veterans who offer invaluable, real-world feedback. This competition is for P.A.D. law school chapters only.
Registration will be held in three separate rounds to ensure that all chapters who wish to compete can participate. Please only register one team per round. The registration schedule is:
Round One: Monday, October 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST
Round Twp: Monday, November 3, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST
Round Three (if needed): Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 12:00 pm EST
TEAM REGISTRATION
$550
Includes registration for four student competitors, breakfast and lunch on Friday and Saturday, competition receptions, and all competition materials.
To allow more chapters to participate in P.A.D. competitions, the Phi Alpha Delta Competitions Committee offers monetary assistance in the form of Registration Assistance Grants, which cover team registration fees to P.A.D. competitions. All P.A.D. chapters are encouraged to apply for a Registration Assistance Grant if they intend to send a team or teams to the 2025 Law School Mock Trial Competition.
We have secured a room rate of $145/night. Rooms must be reserved by Saturday, February 7, 2026. Use the link below to reserve a room in the P.A.D. room block, or call the Hilton reservation hotline at 1 (800) 445-8667 and make a reservation using the group code: PAD26.
Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International formally acknowledges the land of Indigenous peoples on which the 2026 P.A.D. Law School Mock Trial Competition is located. Read the full land acknowledgement statement.
Each year, we seek volunteers to serve as judges for the Law School Mock Trial Competition. Judges must be licensed and in good standing with your state bar or be faculty to sign up. You do not need to be a government-appointed judge or a P.A.D. member to volunteer. No previous mock trial judging experience is necessary, as we provide judge training and a manual.
Please submit the form below to volunteer as a judge. If you have any questions, please contact P.A.D. Director of Technology & Competitions Leslie Plummer by email at leslie@pad.org or by phone at 410-347-3118.
Phi Alpha Delta is the world’s preeminent law fraternity because of our dedication to service: service to the student, the school, the profession, and the community.
It is through devotion to the ideals of compassion, courage, diversity, innovation, integrity, professionalism, and service that we better both our profession and our community. Through accepting our differences we become not just a law fraternity, but a family.
