What is the P.A.D. Law School Mock Trial Competition?
The P.A.D. Law School Mock Trial Competition is an annual competition held in late winter in the Washington, DC area. 2026 marks the competition's 18th anniversary as an official, national, P.A.D. event. The 2026 event will be held February 26-28, 2026 at the Hilton Arlington in Arlington, VA.

Up to 28 teams from P.A.D. law chapters across the country compete for first through fourth place, with additional honors for outstanding defense, prosecution, advocates, witnesses, and fraternalism awarded. The competition is judged by volunteer lawyers and judges (both P.A.D. alumni and non-members). Teams are comprised of four students and all competitors must be P.A.D. members. This competition is for law school chapters only.

When is the competition? When should I plan to arrive, compete, and leave?
The official competition dates are Thursday, February 26 through Saturday, February 28, 2026. Teams should plan to arrive in Arlington, VA on Thursday the 26th by 4:00 pm to check in and attend the team meeting. At least ONE member of each team must be present at this meeting and ALL TEAM MEMBERS MUST BE CHECKED IN BY 8:00 PM ON THURSDAY NIGHT.

Competition rounds will run all day Friday and Saturday, with the top four teams advancing to the finals on Saturday afternoon. The official events wrap up with the Awards Reception on Saturday night. There are no events on Sunday, so you are free to leave at any time.

The official competition agenda is posted on the main event page. Any updated versions will be emailed to all competitors.

Where is the competition? Do I need to make my own hotel arrangements?
Our host hotel is the Hilton Arlington. All teams must make their own hotel arrangements. We have secured a discounted rate of $145/night (plus taxes) at the Hilton. Rooms must be booked by February 7, 2026 to receive the discounted rate.

Reserve Your Room

The closest airport to the competition is Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). There is not a hotel shuttle, but the hotel is adjacent to the to the Ballston-MU stop on the D.C. metro line, which will take you to and from the airport and into Washington, D.C. Ride share or taxis are also readily available in the area.

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.

Are there any restrictions on who can compete?
All competitors must be student P.A.D. members (joined, paid, and initiated by the time the competition starts).

How many students are on a team, and how many teams can we send?
There are four (4) students to a team. During each round, two students will play attorneys and two students will play witnesses. See the “Competition Details” section of this FAQ for more information. Chapters may register one team per round of registration, and there are three rounds of registration.

How does our chapter register a team?
Registration will take place online at the link provided on the Mock Trial webpage. All that is required to register is your chapter name and payment of the registration fee*. Only one person needs to register the team and participant names are NOT required at registration.

*Registration fees must be paid in full when the teams register UNLESS you provide proof that your school will be providing funding at a later date OR your team has been awarded a grant.

Because we only accept 28 teams, registration works in rounds. Each chapter is allowed to register one team per registration round. The first registration round opens at 12 pm Eastern on Monday, October 20, 2025 and stays open for one week.

Round two of registration will open Monday, November 3, 2025 and, like round one, be open for one week. Round three will be opened Wednesday, November 12, 2025 and stay open until all 28 slots are filled. For the 2025 Competition, registration filled up in round two of registration, so teams are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

If you have difficulty registering online, call the Executive Office at 410-347-3118 to register and pay over the phone.

What happens when all 28 team slots are filled?
We will open a wait list. Should a team drop out, the teams on the waitlist will be contacted in order and given the opportunity to register.

How much does Mock Trial cost, and what does that include? Do you offer refunds?
The fee for this year’s competition is $550.00 per team. This includes registration for all four competitors, breakfast and lunch on Thursday and Friday, the Opening Reception, Awards Reception, and the competition materials.

Anyone attending as a non-competitor – such as a team coach, team alternate competitor, or spectator – must register as well. Registration fees vary depending on if these individuals choose to participate in meals and receptions. See the “Competition Details” section of this FAQ for more information.

Registration fees are non-refundable.

Is there any financial assistance for the 2026 Competition?
Yes, 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.

Grant applications are being accepted through Sunday, September 12, 2025. Grant winners will be selected and notified before competition registration opens in October. If you have questions about the grant application, contact Leslie Plummer at leslie@pad.org.

Apply for a Grant

To donate to the fund and support our competitions, please visit www.PAD.org/donations to donate to the Nick Lee Competitions Fund. If you have any questions about the grant or application, please contact leslie@pad.org or padcompgrantchair@gmail.com.

Do we need to know who all our team members are when we register?
No, since only the chapter name must be provided during registration. However, all team members’ names, contact information, and emergency contact information must be submitted to Director of Technology & Competitions Leslie Plummer by February 6, 2026 using this form.

Submit Team Member Info

What happens if we need to switch someone on our team after we’ve submitted participants’ names?
Just email Director of Technology & Competitions Leslie Plummer (leslie@pad.org) to make team changes and updates. You can make changes to your team all the way up to the start of the Team Meeting on Thursday, February 26, but once your team checks in at the competition you cannot change your team.

Do our team members play all roles? Are two competitors specifically witnesses while two are specifically attorneys?
In any given round, the team will be assigned to compete as either prosecution or defense, and the competitors portraying attorneys on one side (prosecution, for instance) must portray witnesses on the other (in this instance, defense). For example: a chapter sends one team to compete. They are assigned to compete as prosecution during round one and then as defense during round two. All four members of the team will compete as prosecution during round one, two as attorneys and two as witnesses. All four members of the team will compete as defense during round two, two as attorneys and two as witnesses.

Presume the names of the four competitors from this chapter are A, B, C, and D. If when assigned prosecution, A & B are attorneys while C & D are witnesses, when assigned defense C & D must be attorneys and A & B must be witnesses. You cannot have a team member that is ONLY one or the other.

We have someone who wants to come with us. Is that ok?
Yes, we welcome guests, coaches, team coordinators, alternate team members, friends, family, etc. Non-Competitor Registration is available on the event page on PAD.org. If they intend on participating in meals – such as breakfast, lunch, and the receptions – there is $150 fee per person. If they do not intend to participate in meals – for instance, if they are just coming to watch someone compete for the day – they do not need to pay a fee. Non-competitors who have paid for meals will receive a special notation on their name tag to show that they are permitted to participate in breakfast and lunch. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER NON-COMPETITORS ARE PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS AND PAYING THE FEE, THEY MUST REGISTER.

Non-competitors must register by February 20, 2026.

When will we get the case for the competition?
The 2026 Law Mock Trial case will be available in late November, 2025.

After we get the case, who should I ask if I have a question about it?
Questions about the case should be submitted to leslie@pad.org. Any procedural/logistics questions will be answered as they are received by Executive Office staff, but any questions about the case materials will be answered by our Case Coordinator en masse. The deadline to submit questions is Friday, February 6, 2026

Is there a list of the official rules?
Yes. The list of rules will be included with the case. If you would like to receive the rules from the 2025 competition, contact leslie@pad.org.

Will we get to see our scores and judges' notes?
Yes. All scores and notes will be emailed to all team members after the competition is complete. NO SCORES OR NOTES WILL BE SHARED WITH TEAMS DURING THE COMPETITION.

What should we wear for this competition?
Competitors and judges should wear business or professional attire during competition rounds.

Can I volunteer to judge this competition?
Yes, we are seeking volunteer judges for this event. Judges must be licensed and in good standing with your state bar or be a faculty member. 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.

For more information and to volunteer as a judge for the 2026 competition, please see the link below or contact Director of Technology & Competitions Leslie Plummer at leslie@pad.org or by phone at (410) 347-3118.

Sign Up to Judge

I’m not associated with a registered Mock Trial team – can I attend this event?
We do allow guest/spectators at this event. Guest Registration is available on the event page on PAD.org. If guests intend on participating in all the events – such as breakfast, lunch, and the receptions – there is $150 fee per person. If guests do not intend to participate – for instance, just coming to watch a round – there is no fee. Guests who have paid for meals will receive a special notation on their name tag to show that they are permitted to participate in breakfast and lunch. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER GUESTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS AND PAYING THE FEE, THEY MUST REGISTER AND ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER BY FEBRUARY 21, 2025.

What will happen if the competition cannot take place in person, either due to a pandemic, weather, or other issues?
The Executive Office will be closely monitoring all factors that might impact an in-person competition. If the competition cannot take place in person, all competitors will be notified immediately. Every effort will be made to ensure the competition moves forward in a safe and accessible format.

Anything else I should know about the competition?
Remember, during the competition you are not only representing your chapter and school, you are also representing P.A.D. Be courteous to other attendees and be mindful of P.A.D.’s Event Code of Conduct.

Don’t forget to have some fun with your fellow P.A.D. members and make meaningful memories along the way!

I have a question that isn’t on this list. Who should I talk to?
Please email Director of Technology & Competitions Leslie Plummer at leslie@pad.org, or call the Executive Office (410-347-3118).