Judge the 2026 National High School Mock Trial Championship
The 2026 National High School Mock Trial Championship will take place in Des Moines, May 7–9, and volunteer judges are essential to its success. Judges help evaluate student performances, provide constructive feedback, and ensure the competition runs smoothly. Multiple rounds will be held over the course of the event, and you may select the times that work best for your schedule. Orientation and training materials will be provided in advance so you can step into the role with confidence. Judges will be asked to assess student performances as they take on the roles of attorneys and witnesses. Volunteer judges need to have graduated from law school in order to participate as a mock trial judge. To register as a judge and be part of this national event, please complete the official judge registration form through Tabroom.
How to register to judge for the 2026 NHSMTC
If you do not already have a Tabroom account: Please go to tabroom.com, select “Sign Up” at the top right, and complete the required information, including an email address and cell phone number that you will have access during the competition. (You may need to identify your cell provider as well.) Please make a note to remember your password! It can be reset if needed.
You should receive an email from tabroom.com asking you to verify your email address. Make sure you verify it in order to receive updates through tabroom.com.
Once you have a Tabroom account: Login and then navigate to the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Iowa page either by clicking here or in the search window on the top right of the Tabroom page, type the word "national" and one of the top selections should be National High School Mock Trial Championship in Iowa.
Once on the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Iowa page, select the “Volunteer Signup” tab. Immediately under the “Volunteer Signup” tab, after the red “Select a volunteer category” scroll to "Judge Panel Members." The page will update to read “Judging Panel Members Signup.” Answer the brief questions, including the trial rounds you're interested/available to judge and then make sure to click on the "Register to Judge” button at the bottom of the form.
By signing up now through Tabroom, we will be able to provide all volunteers with updates right up until the competition on May 8 and 9, 2026.
Please let us know if you encounter any difficulty with this sign-up process or if you have any questions or need additional information. Feel free to email us at NHSMTC@iowabar.org.