High School Competition

Some photos from a past Mock Trial Competition, including students getting into the spirit of the NJSBF’s “Rock the Mock” photo booth at the Southern, Northern and Central Regional Mock Trials.

County Mock Trial Coordinators:

Addresses and contact information below are provided for official, NON-COMMERCIAL use for the benefit only of registered participants in NJSBF’s mock trial competition. Please do not use this information for solicitation purposes.

ATLANTIC
County Coordinator
Name:    Julie Nugent, Esq.
Firm:     Fox Rothschild LLP
1301 Atlantic Avenue
Midtown Building, Suite 400
Atlantic City, NJ 08401-7212
Tel:        609-572-2323
Fax:       609-348-6834
E-mail:   [email protected]

BERGEN
County Co-Coordinator
Name:    Nicole McDonough, Esq.
Firm:     Archer & Greiner P.C.
Court Plaza South, West Wing
21 Main Street, Suite 353
Hackensack, NJ 07601-7095
Tel:        201-498-8528
Fax:       201-342-6611
Email:  [email protected]

County Co-Coordinator
Name:    John McDermott, Esq.
Firm:      Harwood Lloyd
130 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Tel:        201-487-1080
Fax:       201-487-4758
Email:    [email protected]

BURLINGTON
County Coordinator
Name:  Brett E. J. Gorman, Esq.
Firm:    Parker McCay P.A.
9000 Midlantic Drive
Suite 300
P.O. Box 5054
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Tel:      856-985-4051
Fax:     856-810-5852
E-mail:  [email protected]

CAMDEN
County Coordinator
Name:    Peter Frattarelli, Esq.
Firm:      Archer & Greiner
One Centennial Square
Haddonfield, NJ  08033
Tel:        856-795-2121
Fax:       856-795-0574
E-mail:   [email protected]

CAPE MAY
County Co-Coordinator
Name:   Justin D. Turner, Esq.
Firm:     Shoreside Legal, LLC
P.O. Box 106
Ocean View, NJ 08230
Tel:       609-536-9799
E-mail: [email protected]

County Co-Coordinator
Name: Ed Simonson, Esq.
P.O. Box 785
Marmora NJ 08223
Tel: (609) 602-8167
Email: [email protected]

County Co-Coordinator
Name: Paul M. Stanton, Esq.
Firm: McCrosson & Stanton, P.C.
200 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ 08226
Tel: (609) 399-2411
Email: [email protected]t

CUMBERLAND
County Coordinator
Name:    Teri L. Giordano, Esq.
Firm:      Van Embden Van Embden & Giordano, P.C.
900 E. Pine Street, PO Box 863
Millville, NJ  08332
Tel:         856-327-5656
Fax:        856-327-5852
E-mail:  [email protected]

ESSEX
County Co-Coordinator
Name: Immanuel Adeola, Esq.
Firm:    Lite DePalma Greenberg & Afanador, LLC
570 Broad Street
Suite 1201, Newark, NJ 07102
Tel:      973-877-3817
Fax:     973-623-0858
Email:  [email protected]

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name:   Arrianna T. Diamantis, Esq.
Firm:     Essex County Prosecutor’s Office
Veterans Courthouse
50 West Market Street
Newark New Jersey 07102
Tel:         973-621-5404
Email:      [email protected]

 

GLOUCESTER
County Coordinator
Name:    Lewis C. Fichera, Esq.
Firm:      773 West Atlantic Avenue
Sewell, NJ 08080
Tel:        856-468-3000
Fax:       856-468-3089
Email:   [email protected]

 

HUDSON
County Coordinator
Name:    Steve McCurrie, Esq.
Firm:      McCurrie, McCurrie & McCurrie, LLC
680 Kearny Avenue
Kearny, NJ  07032
Tel:        201-997-2100
Fax:       201-997-9567
E-mail:   [email protected]

 

HUNTERDON
County Co-Coordinator
Name:    John Macce, Esq.
Firm:      Macce & Cresti, PC
17 East Main Street
Clinton, NJ  08809
Tel:        908-713-9008
Fax:       908-713-9009
E-mail:   [email protected]

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name:    Anne M. Mohan, Esq.
Firm:      Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP
Headquarters Plaza
One Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, NJ  07962-1981
Tel:        973-451-8471
Fax:       973-451-8726
Email:    [email protected]

 

MERCER
County Coordinator
Name:    Jessica Wilson, Esq.
Firm:      Hill Wallack LLP
21 Roszel Road, P.O. Box 5226
Princeton, NJ 08543
Tel:       609-734-6389
Fax:      609-452-1888
Email:  [email protected]

 

MIDDLESEX
County Coordinator
Name:  Jenee K. Ciccarelli, Esq.
Firm:   Ciccarelli Law, PC
47 Park Avenue, Suite 304
West Orange, NJ 07052
Tel:      973-737-9060
Fax:     973-619-0023
Email: [email protected]

 

MONMOUTH
County Co-Coordinator
Name:  Elissa Perkins, Esq.
83 South Street, Suite 302
Freehold, NJ 07728
Tel: 732-409-1144 ext. 270
Fax: 732-409-0350
Email: [email protected]  

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name: Amanda Wolf, Esq.
Firm:   Wolf Law, PC
214 Broad St.
PO Box 8938
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Tel: 732-741-4448
Email: mailto:[email protected]

 

MORRIS
County Co-Coordinator
Name:    David L. Disler, Esq.
Firm:      Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, PC
100 Southgate Parkway
PO Box 1997
Morristown, NJ 07962-1997
Tel:         973-889-4133
Fax:        973-538-5146
E-mail:   [email protected]

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name:   Christopher P. Mazza, Esq.
Firm:     Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C.
100 Southgate Parkway
PO Box 1997
Morristown, NJ 07962-1997
Tel:         973-889-4256
Fax:        973-538-5146
E-mail:    [email protected]

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name:   Raquel R. Rivera, Esq.
Firm:     Porzio, Bromberg & Newman P.C.
100 Southgate Parkway
PO Box 1997
Morristown, NJ 07962-1997
Tel:         973-462-0335
Fax:        973-538-5146
E-mail:    [email protected]

 

OCEAN
County Co-Coordinator
Name:     John G. Ducey, Esq.
Firm:       Law Offices of John G. Ducey
345 Herbertsville Road
Brick, NJ  08724
Tel:         732-458-5600
Fax:        732-458-5602
E-mail:    [email protected]

 

County Co-Coordinator
Name:    Stacie A. Brustman, Esq.
Firm:      Adams & Brustman, LLC
550 U.S. Highway 70, Suite A
Lakehurst, NJ  08733
Tel:         732-657-8300
Fax:        732-657-4545
E-mail:    [email protected]

 

PASSAIC
County Coordinator
Name:      Alfred V. Acquaviva, Esq.
1114 Goffle Road
Suite 203
Hawthorne, NJ  07506
Tel:          973-423-4472
Fax:         973-423-6013
E-mail:     [email protected]

SALEM
County Coordinator
Name:     Christopher Pine, Esq.
Tel:          856-906-4794
E-mail:     [email protected]

SOMERSET
County Coordinator
Name:     Adelaide Riggi, Esq.
Firm:       Snyder Sarno D’Aniello Maceri & da Costa LLC
440 Route 22 East, Suite 170
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Tel:         908-927-0200
Fax:        908-927-0207
E-mail:    [email protected]

SUSSEX
County Coordinator
Name: Travis W. Nunziato, Esq.
Firm:   Laddey, Clark & Ryan, LLP
60 Blue Heron Rd, Suite 300
Sparta, NJ 07871
Tel:      973-729-1880
Fax:     973-729-1224
E-mail: [email protected]

UNION
County Coordinator
Name:    Samuel J. Berse, Esq.
Firm:      Berse Law
217 Elmer Street
Westfield, NJ 07090
Tel:         855-326-5291
Fax:        855-326-5292
E-mail: [email protected]

WARREN
County Coordinator
Name:    Jessica L. Cardone, Esq.
Firm:    Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office
65 Park Avenue
P.O. Box 756
Flemington, NJ 08822
Tel:        908-788-1129
Fax:       908-806-4618
E-mail: [email protected]

Are You Ready to Rock the Mock?

Our 2022-2023 High School Mock Trial Workbook, which contains the new case, procedures, and rules of evidence, has just been released!  To download the workbook, click here.

We anticipate that mock trials will be in person this year.  See page 4 of the workbook.

Clarifications

Clarification 1: October 19, 2022

Add the following to Rule 5:3-5 on page 22 of the workbook:

D. When in person, only the two participating student-attorneys may communicate with each other during the five-minute pre-summation recess.

Failure to comply with the aforementioned shall be considered a violation of the mock trial rules. Should any team member participating in that round observe any conduct which is in violation of this rule, that team member shall immediately and unobtrusively bring the alleged violation to the attention of the appropriate student attorney. The student attorney, at their discretion, may then object to the presiding judges. Any such objection must be made at the time the violation is noted, and in the case of Section B above, prior to the witness leaving the witness stand.

The judge(s) shall immediately make an inquiry into the matter and may deduct one or more points at their discretion. The deduction may come from the score of the witness, the attorney(s), and/or the overall team score.

Clarification 2: November 7, 2022

 Addendum to R. 2:5-3 on page 13 of the workbook:

 When in person, each team is permitted to record the trial in which they are participating without notice to the other team.  A team is not required to share the recording of the trial with the opposing team, but may do so as a courtesy if they wish in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct.

Clarification 3: November 14, 2022

 Page 57, line #11:

 Change “in the early spring of 2000” to “in March 2020.”

Clarification 4: November 15, 2022

 Page 58, line #55:

 Change HOCD to HOCM.

Clarification 5: November 17, 2022

 Page 58, line # 61:

 After the word “proximate,” add “cause”.

Clarification 6: November 30, 2022

 Page 35, Stipulation #5:

 Delete reference to Exhibit E.  Change to Exhibit B.

Clarification 7: December 14, 2022

 The deceased, Rory Salerno, was a male. 

Entry Form

Register here to enter your school in the competition. There is no charge to enter.

Code of Conduct

Teacher-coaches, attorney-coaches and students are required to complete and sign the Code of Conduct before the first round of county competition.  To access the forms, click here.

Team Roster

Please fill out the names of the students and roles they will play prior to each round of competition. Click here for the form.

Rules of Evidence Study Guide

For a quick reference to the Rules of Evidence, click here.

Mock Trial Brochure

For a quick overview of the competition, click here to download the High School Mock Trial brochure.

First-Time Teacher Coaches

Two experienced mock trial teacher-coaches who are members of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Mock Trial Committee have volunteered to assist first-time mock trial teacher-coaches whose schools have registered for the 2022-2023 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition.

David Pfeifer ([email protected]) of Holy Spirit High School in Atlantic County and Ed Moody ([email protected]) of Kingsway Regional High School in Gloucester County are available via email to serve as a “support group” for new mock trial teacher-coaches who have questions limited to the mock trial process and procedure. For tips for new teacher-coaches prepared by Mr. Moody, click here.

Questions

As usual, questions regarding our 2022-2023 mock trial case and/or rules should be directed to Sheila Boro, the Foundation’s director of mock trial programs, at 732-937-7519 or e-mail [email protected].

County Coordinators

To find out the date(s) and time(s) of your county’s competition, or to obtain an attorney-coach for your team, please contact your County Mock Trial Coordinator. Contact information is posted on this page.

Past State Champions

For the Honor Roll of past state champions, click here.

Courtroom Art Contest

For the eighth year, the Foundation will sponsor a courtroom art contest for high school students in connection with our Vincent J. Apruzzese Mock Trial Competition. Art students whose schools enter the Mock Trial Competition will be eligible to participate. For details click here.

2021-2022 Mock Trial Finals Video

In our second virtual Mock Trial Finals on March 23, 2022, Bordentown Regional High School of Burlington County and West Morris Mendham High School of Morris County battle for the state championship title.

The link to the video can be found here.

Watch the first-ever virtual High School Mock Trial State Finals below, featuring Lower Cape May Regional High School of Cape May County and West Morris Mendham High School of Morris County. The trial was held on March 18, 2021.

The link to the video can be found here

Take a look at the short video below, which highlights the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition.

Watch championship teams battle for the state title in the following video. You’ll see examples of opening statements, direct and cross-examinations of witnesses and closing arguments, which were excerpted from the final round of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s 2018-2019 Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition.