Bringing it home: Iowa secures bid to host National High School Mock Trial Championship in 2026

By Haley Bohlmann and Lisa Hanson, published in the July 2023 issue of The Iowa Lawyer magazine. 

The National High School Mock Trial Championship was born in Iowa. In 2026, it will be coming home.
Des Moines holds a significant place in the history of mock trial as an extracurricular activity. It was in Iowa that the concept and program were conceived, laying the foundation for what has become a worldwide phenomenon. Iowa proudly hosted the inaugural National High School Mock Trial Championship in 1984 at Drake University, marking the beginning of a storied tradition. Since that time, the tournament has traveled across the country, but it has not yet made its return to Des Moines until its highly-anticipated 2026 homecoming. Over the last 40 years, the program has grown and expanded to include more than 46 state, territorial, and national participants.
Each year since 1984, the Iowa Mock Trial program has given thousands of Iowa students the opportunity to get a close-up look at the judicial process and current legal issues while developing important critical thinking and preparation and presentation skills.
Little Rock, Arkansas, hosted the 2023 National High School Mock Trial Championship, where Iowa, represented by a team from Ankeny High School, claimed the National Championship. With this year’s national title, the Iowa Mock Trial program has become the winningest state in the national program’s history.
The Site Selection Committee of the National High School Mock Trial Championship also convened in Little Rock, Arkansas, in May where the YLD Mock Trial Committee pitched for Des Moines to host the National High School Mock Trial Championship in 2026. In preparation for the bid, the YLD Mock Trial Committee received written letters of support to the National High School Mock Trial Board of Trustees from Tiffany Tauscheck, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership; Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines; and Chief Justice Susan Christensen on behalf of the Iowa Judicial Branch.
Although securing a national win in 2023 and a bid to host in 2026 were two separate events, as the national championship trophy comes home to Iowa in 2023, by happenstance so does the opportunity to host the nationwide tournament in the birthplace of mock trial.
The Iowa State Bar Association’s Center for Law and Civic Education Director John Wheeler looks forward to Iowa hosting the competition in Des Moines in 2026: “We’re looking forward to showcasing the growth and history and bringing the national championship home.”
Hosting the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Iowa allows the Iowa program to highlight the state, as well as the work of The Iowa State Bar Association program to promote mock trial and a full range of other youth and public law-related and civic education programs. “We’re hopeful that the goodwill, enthusiasm, and financial resources generated might support a whole panoply of projects into the future,” Wheeler says.
YLD Mock Trial Committee Co-Chairs Aaron Jones, Amelia Mapes, and Olivia Brooks, along with Wheeler, took time to share the significance of securing the bid to host the national competition in Iowa in 2026.
According to them, securing the bid to host the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Iowa is an incredible honor for the Iowa Mock Trial program, the state of Iowa, and the legal community.
Since the first tournament, the national competition has traveled across the country, but it has not yet made its return to Des Moines. Amelia Mapes states, “Now, there couldn't be a more opportune moment for us to bring the tournament back to its birthplace.”
Hosting the tournament in Des Moines holds immense potential to showcase the legal sophistication and expertise of Iowa's lawyers and judges. The YLD Mock Trial Committee sees it as a chance to highlight the vibrant and revitalized downtown Des Moines area, as well as the interconnected industries and unwavering support for youth programming that define our great state. The hope is to elevate the reputation of Iowa lawyers to the legal professionals from across the world that will travel to Des Moines for the competition. The YLD Mock Trial Committee also hopes to provide opportunities to support the local legal industry in working with or recruiting the attendees.
Moreover, hosting such a prestigious event in Des Moines has a far-reaching impact on the entire state. It not only brings over 1,000 people from across the country but will also attract a diverse range of individuals, including student participants, coaches, parents, and legal professionals. Aaron Jones adds, “This influx of talent and enthusiasm fosters a vibrant atmosphere, encouraging the exchange of ideas, networking opportunities, and the cultivation of new relationships within the legal community.” The Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau (Catch Des Moines) has done a preliminary economic impact statement for this event; it has estimated that this event will have a total economic impact on Iowa in excess of $1.1 million.
Additionally, hosting the tournament in Des Moines aligns with the Iowa Mock Trial program’s mission of promoting legal education and inspiring the next generation of legal professionals. “There is a lot that students can learn from mock trial. We hope to inspire students to get involved and stay involved. Beyond the presentation, preparation, and critical thinking skillsets, mock trial also teaches the importance of cooperation and collaboration. Students learn that advocacy and collegiality are not mutually exclusive,” says Olivia Brooks. By providing a platform for high school students to engage in the challenging academic competition, the program nurtures students’ interest in the legal system and ignites a passion for the law at an early stage. The educational program serves as a catalyst for Iowa’s community to recognize the personal growth and achievement that is received through participation in mock trial.
Wheeler has served on the National High School Mock Trial Championship Board of Directors for the past 20 years and chaired the organization for more than seven years, from 2005 – 2012. He also currently serves on the National Mock Trial Site Selection Committee. Over the years, the committee has worked to encourage states to step up and host. It has long been Iowa’s dream to host the competition again.
With the completion of the Polk County Courthouse renovations and the enthusiastic response of the new YLD Mock Trial Committee chairs, the time seemed right to make the bid.
Jones explains why he is passionate about the Iowa Mock Trial program. His passion for mock trial stems from a deeply personal journey and the transformative impact it had on his life. “I come from a background that defies the stereotypes and expectations typically associated with success in the legal field. As the first person in my family to graduate high school, I lacked the role models and guidance that many of my peers had,” he says.
“I have always had a soft spot for our youth. Witnessing friends from my own upbringing, who possessed remarkable talents and the ability to make a positive impact, struggle due to a lack of mentorship or positive role models or falling into crime and addiction, has fueled my desire to support and empower young individuals. I am willing to go to great lengths to alleviate barriers and enhance their opportunities for success, hopefully increasing the likelihood that they reach their fullest potential and create a meaningful impact in the world. Acts of compassion like that have tremendous impact – but if not for my 6th-grade teacher at Urbandale Middle School, Kate Safris, who introduced me to mock trial, my life would have taken a completely different trajectory. I had never heard of the program before middle school – I am eternally grateful to her,” Jones adds.
Through the mock trial program, Jones found not only a platform for academic growth but also a community of lifelong friends and remarkable mentors. He says it provided him opportunities to develop skills and create a different path for himself that previous generations in his family could not have imagined. “In all honesty, without mock trial, there is a strong chance I would have taken a different path and not pursued education beyond high school,” he exclaims.
In addition to its ability to foster critical and analytical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork, what makes mock trial exceptional as an academic activity is its ability to level the playing field. Unlike other extracurricular activities that may require years of participation or expensive equipment, mock trial enables students to compete solely based on their intellect, creativity, and wit. For example, the program routinely sees teams comprised entirely of 6th-grade students (the first year that students can participate in mock trial) outperforming more experienced teams and, in multiple instances, reaching the semi-finals of the Iowa Middle School Mock Trial state tournament.
One of the unique aspects of the mock trial program is its emphasis on teaching perspective. It challenges students to argue both sides of a position, requiring them to understand and empathize with opposing arguments. In an era where healthy debate is increasingly scarce, this skill of understanding different perspectives is essential. Mock trial provides a playground for students to engage in respectful and insightful discussions.
From the lens of the legal profession, mock trial serves as an efficient “lawyer-making machine.” A 2018 Gallup poll of law school students revealed that over 50% had considered law school before graduating high school and over 33% before finishing middle school. As the legal profession faces challenges like decreasing law school attendance and a shrinking workforce, all evidence suggests that the most impactful long-term solution begins back at the middle and high school level. This statistic should underscore the importance of getting the mock trial program into Iowa’s underserved communities. “If we want a legal profession that resembles our state’s diversity – we need to ensure our more diverse communities’ youth have access to and participate in mock trial,” Jones says.
With a vision for the future of the mock trial program, Wheeler includes, “We were able to successfully continue the Iowa Mock Trial program through the pandemic and served as a large-scale test run for virtual competitions in other states. We did lose a few teams but are now building back to our former levels of participation. The announcement to host a national championship will hopefully shed some light on the program and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions it helps provide for participating students. With renewed attention, energy, and resources, we hope to continue to grow overall participation numbers, but also to focus on certain underserved populations – rural areas, economically challenged areas, and more diverse communities. The Iowa Mock Trial program is among the strongest in the nation – we want to keep it that way! – and want to serve as an incubator for program improvements. We’d like to ensure a bright and meaningful future for students yet to participate.”
The challenges posed by the pandemic in 2020 prompted the YLD Mock Trial Committee to take a deep reflection on what truly matters for the program’s success. In the fall of 2020, the mock trial program made history by hosting the first-ever all-virtual state mock trial competition in the country. “Despite the unprecedented circumstances and the chaos of virtual trials, we received heartwarming feedback from students and parents who highlighted the vital role that mock trial played in providing a sense of normalcy during an otherwise abnormal year. It became evident that mock trial offers a unique space for students to showcase their skills in ways that may not be possible through other extracurricular activities,” Mapes discloses.
Moving forward, the YLD Mock Trial Committee has a range of active initiatives and projects. However, it recognizes that consistency in delivering the program is paramount to its continued success and the mental well-being and growth of students. Simultaneously, the committee acknowledges the pressing need for enhanced accessibility.
In 2022, the committee conducted an assessment of school systems within the Des Moines metro area that were not providing access to mock trial for their students. It was discovered that these schools shared common socioeconomic factors, such as low-income levels and high diversity rates. In response, an ambitious initiative to establish mock trial teams at North High School, East High School, Lincoln High School, and Hoover High School was launched. When the proposal was shared with ISBA leadership, ISBA’s then-President Henry Hamilton III challenged the committee to think bigger – highlighting that Iowa has approximately 450 high schools, but only 100 high school mock trial teams. Through collaborative efforts with organizations like Principal Financial, Raygun, By Degrees Foundation, and North High School, North High School successfully fielded its inaugural high school mock trial team in the spring of 2023. The feedback received from the coach and students is reported to have been overwhelmingly positive, and the committee is thrilled to announce that the associated middle school is also expected to compete this fall. The YLD Mock Trial Committee encourages attorneys and other legal professionals to consider organizing a team for their local youth—the YLD Mock Trial Committee is prepared to offer support to help transform that aspiration into a reality.
Brooks describes one avenue to make the program more accessible to all Iowa’s youth: “We recognize that parent, teacher, and attorney coaches will come to the table with varying levels of mock trial experience. We are working to create online training modules specifically geared towards new teams that we hope will make starting a new team more and more approachable.”
An additional barrier to accessibility that Jones, Mapes, and Brooks are actively addressing pertains to students who are non-native English speakers. As the competition is conducted in English, students with limited English proficiency have expressed apprehension and discomfort when it comes to public speaking in English. “However, we have observed their eagerness and desire to participate in the mock trial program,” says Jones. To ensure that these students are not excluded and can benefit from the valuable experiences and enjoyment that mock trial offers, the committee is exploring various options. The aim is to create a more inclusive and enriching environment that embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their language background. “We are dedicated to finding innovative solutions that will provide the necessary support and resources to our non-English speaking student community, enabling them to engage with mock trial,” explains Mapes. “By addressing this specific accessibility challenge, we can empower a wider range of students to participate, learn, and grow through the mock trial experience, fostering a sense of belonging and enabling them to develop the skills and confidence needed for success. Our commitment to removing barriers and embracing diversity remains unwavering as we work towards a future where every student can actively participate and benefit from the mock trial program.”
In summary, the vision for the future of the mock trial program encompasses fostering consistency, amplifying accessibility, and inspiring a wider embrace of mock trial as a transformative educational opportunity. The Iowa Mock Trial program leaders firmly believe that by continuing to prioritize these principles, the program can empower more students to discover their talents, develop critical skills, and forge a path towards success.
While hosting the 2026 National High School Mock Trial Championship is a massive honor, it will also require an enormous effort on behalf of the entire ISBA and legal community. Tax-deductible monetary donations are being accepted on the ISBA website (iowabar.org) through a partnership with The Iowa State Bar Foundation (ISBF). Online donations can be made to the ISBF by designating that the donation is for mock trial. “We are so appreciative of the support we’ve already received, and we welcome your support for the program and the 2026 competition going forward. We are so very excited to showcase Iowa and our legal community,” says Brooks. Please watch for forthcoming announcements on further opportunities to get involved. And most importantly, mark May 7 – 9, 2026 on your calendar, as this is an event you won’t want to miss!