The Illinois State Bar Association High School Mock Trial Invitational is a mock trial tournament that has been held every year since 1983. The event is administered by the Illinois State Bar Association. The winning team represents the state of Illinois at the National High School Mock Trial Championship. Originally held in Springfield, Illinois, the invitational moved to
Champaign, Illinois in 2013, before moving back to Springfield for the 2019 competition. In 2019, 40 high schools participated.[1] The defending champion is York Community High School.
Each school must submit a roster of no more than ten members.[2] The tournament consists of two preliminary rounds, with each school having a chance to represent both the plaintiff/prosecution and defense. After the first two rounds, the eight highest scoring teams advance to a final round.[3] The team with the highest point total following the final round wins the competition. At the end of the competition, several students are awarded outstanding attorney and outstanding witness awards, and the top three placing teams are announced.
The following is a list of invitational champions:[4]
The following schools have placed in the top 3 at least once:
| School | 1st Place Finishes | 2nd Place Finishes | 3rd Place Finishes | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 7 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 4 | 17 | ||
| 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Evanston Township High School | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Wells High School | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The winner of the ISBA High School Mock Trial Invitational has represented the state at the National High School Mock Trial Championship since its inaugural tournament in 1984.[10] No Illinois team has ever won the tournament, although Hinsdale Central High School finished in 2nd place in 2010. Most recently, Illinois finished 13th at the 2019 National Championship in Athens, Georgia.