How is college mock trial structured?
College mock trial in the United States is governed by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). In 2008, over 550 teams from over 300 colleges registered to compete in the national competition. The nation is divided into 24 regions. The competition begins at the regional level. The top two or three teams at each regional competition advance to the National Championship Tournament (Gold Nationals), which will be hosted by Hamline University in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April 2008. Additionally, three to six teams in each region will advance to one of four National Tournaments (Silver Nationals); the top teams at each Silver National will advance to the National Championship Tournament at Hamline University. To prepare for the regional AMTA competition, numerous invitational tournaments are hosted by various institutions throughout the fall and early spring.
