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GLADIATOR 2023

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Our ninth annual GLADIATOR will be July 21-23 in Atlanta, Georgia. This year's tournament director is Will Warihay, Head Coach of Georgia Tech Mock Trial and practicing attorney in Atlanta.  For any questions about Gladiator 2023, please contact Will directly via email.  We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta this summer!​

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Are you the Best in the World?

GLADIATOR showcases the best high school mock trial competitors anywhere.  Since 2015, we've hosted more than 300 competitors from 25 states and 5 countries.  They represent schools that have won county, state, and national championships.  And they don't just compete for those teams; they star for those teams: collectively, these Gladiators have won more than 500 attorney and witness awards.

GLADIATOR is not a team tournament.  It's one-on-one.  Your teammates, coaches, and family can help you prepare, but once you enter the courtroom, you have no co-counsel.  It's you against everyone else.

The winner gets the most iconic trophy in mock trial -- a life-size replica Gladiator helmet -- and the title of Best in the World.  

Applications for 2023 are now closed!

Check back in Spring 2024 for the 10th GLADIATOR Application!

Any high school mock trial competitor is eligible, including those graduating this season (in other words, students are eligible to compete in GLADIATOR during the first summer after they graduate high school). The registration fee is $749, though we offer scholarships for students/families in need. Our goal is to include the best competitors in the world, so please don't let the registration fee deter you from applying.  

Over the years, Gladiator has been in California, on Zoom, and now for the second year in a row, Gladiator will be in-person in Atlanta on July 21-23, 2023.  

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How it works

Each trial features exactly two attorneys (one per side) and two witnesses (one per side). The judge and jury score everything head to head. The two attorneys are compared to one another, and the two witnesses are compared to one another.  

There are four rounds. During those four rounds, each Gladiator will performs each role once: prosecutor, defense attorney, prosecution witness, and defense witness.  Placement is based on results from all four trials, with much greater weight on attorney performance. 

After four trials, the four highest-scoring competitors square off as attorneys in two semifinals. The winners of each semifinal compete in the championship round.  The winner is crowned best in the world.

The Logistics

Every competitor is guaranteed at least four trials (two as an attorney, two as a witness). 

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Registration is $749, which includes the case, (at least) four rounds of competition, a Gladiator shirt, dinner at the Friday welcome ceremony, and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Meals are provided for the Gladiator and up to three family members / friends / coaches. 

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The Case

GLADIATOR will feature a brand new case specifically created for a one-on-one world championship: short enough to prepare in a month, complex enough to distinguish the best. The case will be written by Justin Bernstein, author of 20 mock trial cases, including four used at Empire and seven used for national competition.  We release the case 24 days before GLADIATOR (after the mock trial season and school year).

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Apply!

Applications for 2023 are now closed.  Check back in Spring 2024! The application is free. But space is limited -- for years, we've had to turn away award-winning, state-champion competitors.  We admit students on a rolling basis, so those who apply early often stand a better chance. 

Email with any questions.