March 26, 2025 – Once again, the Wisconsin High School Mock Trial State Championship Round was nearly too close to call.
Members on both teams displayed their knowledge not only of the case and the rules of evidence, but also of their skills to think on their feet to construct a good argument for their side. It was obvious that either team would represent Wisconsin well at the national tournament.
Judges and audience members alike passed around words like "outstanding," "very impressive," and with strong presentations and presence.
"The execution, today, with everyone remaining cool and calm on both sides, is exactly what we would expect of the teams in the championship round," said Judge Brian Blanchard, head judge of the finals round and judge in the District IV Court of Appeals.
In a very close match with Shorewood High School, the Whitefish Bay team took first place in this year’s State Finals.
In the end,
Whitefish Bay High School took the top spot, with
Shorewood High School coming in a very close second.
You can view the live recording of
the 2025 Mock Trial final round on Wiseye.org (free login required).
Possible Future Lawyers
The experience of Mock Trial is enough to inspire students, who previously knew little about the justice system, to go into the legal profession.
Such is the case with Reedsburg sophomore
Kasyn Bohl, who took up the role of defense attorney in his second year in Mock Trial. "It's a fun experience, especially learning a new case every single year," he said. The case this year involved a homicide – for Kasyn, one of the most interesting parts was pinning the blame on the other side. "It was my favorite thing to do. I did the opening, so I did that a lot."
Reedsburg's Kasyn Bohl smiles as he holds the medal given to teams that win their regional competitions and compete in the semifinals.
Mock Trial has taught Kasyn valuable lessons. "It's hard work to be the attorney. It's taught me to work hard to keep my grades up." He's also learned to deal with being nervous when getting up and speaking. "I don't know if I'll ever overcome it, but I push through it as much as I can."
Shannon Green is communications writer for the State Bar of Wisconsin, Madison. She can be reached by
email or by phone at (608) 250-6135.
And his future plans? "I love lawyering. Maybe I'll go for environmental law. That'll be fun," he said.
Whitefish Bay senior
Jack McCauley is in his third year of mock trial and took up the prosecuting attorney role this year. Mock trial allowed him not only to work on his public speaking skills but to interact with lawyers and learn about the justice system. "It's a great way to explore a possible career in law," he said.
Katie Maloney of Sun Prairie West High School holds her drawing that took first place in the first-ever courtroom artist competition as part of the mock trial tournament this year.
Artists Join the Competition
This year added a new element to the tournaments: a courtroom artist competition.
Student artists – members of their high school's mock trial team – were tasked with drawing a courtroom scene in real-time. Their instructions were to find the most newsworthy action that occurred in the courtroom as the “eyes of the court.”
Six student artists entered this year as members of their high school's team, competing in the last semi-finals round on Saturday, March 8. Students were encouraged to do practice drawings in earlier rounds as warm-ups.
Chosen by her peers via an online vote,
Katie Maloney from Sun Prairie West High School is the first winner of the Courtroom Artists Competition.
Katie, a senior, began drawing in her sophomore year and joined mock trial this year. She took up the competition when her school's varsity team made the semifinals tournament. Her drawing captures two team members interacting as attorney and expert witness. The challenge of the competition, she said, was to quickly capture a still image of people who are constantly moving. "You look up from your drawing and they have already changed their position."
“We are really excited to get this new group of students involved in the court process,” said Kristen Lonergan, chair of the Mock Trial Casewriting Committee. "Plus, this is a great way to showcase the artistic talents of Wisconsin students.”
The drawings are currently on display at the State Bar Center in Madison.
Brookfield Central High School's team is recipient of the 2025 Spirit of Mock Trial Award.
Spirit of Mock Trial: Brookfield Central High School
The Spirit of Mock Trial Award honors teams who foster teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation among teams, that promotes communication and cooperation among Mock Trial participants.
This year's recipient of the Spirit of Mock Trial is a team who readily helped other teams succeed. "This team is a tremendous asset to the program, by helping other teams improve their skills," said Kristen Lonergan, chair of the Mock Trial Writing Committee.
Brookfield Central High School is the 2025 recipient of the award. The team hosted multiple events, including scrimmages, and help other teams and their coaches with last-minute needs during competitions. "The leaders of this team bring a sense of calm and professionalism to their interactions," Lonergan said. "Their scrimmages give students an upbeat, low-stress environment and opportunity to learn."
"On top of all of this, they were instrumental in starting a middle school mock trial program a few years ago, expanding mock trial to a whole additional group of students, and strengthening the future of the program."
Whitefish Bay team members celebrate their state championship win, from left: Jack McCauley, attorney-coach Scott Campbell, and Katie Nicolet.
Attorney Coach: My Law Practice Benefits from My Coaching
Robert Welygan, who practices with the State Public Defenders Office, is in his third year as an attorney-coach with Appleton West High School. He got involved with coaching during his 3L year, and previously coached at De Pere High School.
"Before I went to law school, I was actually a teacher. So this is an awesome way to combine those two things – I could share everything that I loved about teaching with everything that I love about being an attorney," Welygan said.
Coaching involves meeting weekly with the team for two hours of practice. During the tournament season, they take part in scrimmages on the weekends, with the regionals and semifinals taking place on a weekend.
Spending this time with the students and working on courtroom skills is what keeps him coming back each year, he said. "There's that spark that the kids get when they learn a concept, then they're all of a sudden presenting it with confidence – like when they grasp a rule of evidence and then finally able fully understand hearsay."
"It's great if some of them are going to go into careers in the law, but even if they don't, they have such a better understanding of what we do," Welygan said.
And the experience boosts his abilities as a litigator. "The longer I'm coaching, the more that it's helped me learn rules of evidence – because you can't teach a bunch of kids the rules of evidence if you don't know them yourself. Their questions keep it always fresh for me," he said.
You’re Needed Next Year: How to Get Involved
The State Bar of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Law Foundation support the Wisconsin High School Mock Trial tournament, but it takes more than 200 volunteers to make it happen – just for the regional tournament alone.
It takes even more attorney volunteers to coach the teams. This year, more than 80 teams with over 1,000 students competed in the regionals competitions – some without an attorney coach.
You’re needed. Interested in volunteering next year for the tournament or as a coach?
Contact Katie Wilcox, State Bar of Wisconsin mock trial coordinator.
Wisconsin Law Foundation Supports Mock Trial
Wisconsin High School Mock Trial is a State Bar of Wisconsin program funded by the
Wisconsin Law Foundation, the charitable arm of the State Bar. Founded in 1983, the program helps students gain a deeper understanding of our legal system while developing leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
