Apply!

We are now accepting applications.  Click here to apply.  The application is free.  The deadline is May 11  (unless you're competing at Nationals, in which case your deadline is May 22). 

But space is limited -- last year we had to turn away award-winning, state-champion competitors.  We admit students on a rolling basis, so those who apply early may stand a better chance. 

Email with any questions

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 two highest-scoring competitors square off as attorneys in the championship round (we provide the witnesses for the final).  The winner is crowned best in the world.

Are you the Best in the World?

GLADIATOR showcases the best high school mock trial competitors anywhere.  Since 2015, we've hosted more than 150 competitors from 22 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 400 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 are now open!  Click here to apply.  Any high school mock trial competitor is eligible, including those graduating in 2019.

Schedule

Friday, GLADIATOR kicks off with a Welcome Dinner on the beach so the Gladiators and their families can get to know one another.  

Saturday is at the courthouse for rounds one, two, and three.

Sunday we're back at the courthouse for round four, the semifinals, the awards ceremony, and the Final Round.  Here are our Gladiator champions posing with the trophy and tournament director Justin Bernstein (Megan Jones in 2015, Andy Parker in 2016, Audrey Shepard in 2017, and Tiffany Tam in 2018).  You can watch the championship trials on our Stand Up Mock Trial YouTube page.

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 10 mock trial cases, including four used at Empire and seven used for national competition. The case will include actual physical evidence (see a few examples above).  In 2015, competitors had the mask worn by bank robbers, in 2016 they had the necklace worn by a murder victim, in 2017, they had the magazine used by an alleged spy to pass confidential government secrets to a foreign agent.  In 2018, they had the blue cocaine seized during a narcotics raid. 

We release the case one month before GLADIATOR (after the mock trial season and school year).

The Logistics

Gladiator 2019 is July 12-14 in Newport Beach, California.  All trials will be in a courthouse.  The tournament hotel ($139/night) and courthouse are less than two miles from John Wayne International Ariport (Santa Ana).  Most competitors fly in Friday morning and fly out Sunday night, but we encourage everyone to stay an extra day before or after the tournament.  GLADIATOR is five miles from the beach and 15 miles from Disneyland.

Registration is $595, with scholarships available for students in need, especially those traveling from outside California.  Since we started the tournament, we've been able to accommodate nearly every admitted student.  The fee includes four rounds of competition, a welcome dinner and lunches (for each Gladiator and up to two of her/his family members and coaches), and a GLADIATOR t-shirt.