Enrichment · Passion Projects

Every element answered,
every witness assigned.

Build your side of the case on one page: the theory in a sentence, each element and how you prove or attack it, every witness with the facts you need and who examines them, exhibits, objections and timing.

Plan a caseWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Passion projects kit, $39 for 34 items.

Case plans

The worked example is a made-up defense plan in a hit-and-run case built for practice. Plans save on this device only.

Loading the case plan form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · Passion Projects$5

What you finish with
A plan per case and side with the kind of case, the round date, theory and theme; each element with how it is proved or attacked; witnesses with who calls them, the facts needed and our examiner; exhibits with purpose and foundation witness; objections practiced; opening time against the limit; a six-point prep checklist; flags for an opening over time, witnesses without an examiner and the burden of proof; days to each round.
Who it is for
Middle school, high school and college mock trial teams, their teacher and attorney coaches, and civics classes running a classroom trial.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved plan per case and side. Prints a plan for the team binder, all plans or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Passion projects kit ($39) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Passion Projects space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Write the theory in one or two sentences and a theme line.
  2. List each element from the case packet and how you prove or attack it.
  3. Add every witness, ours and theirs, with the facts you need and who examines them.
  4. Add exhibits with the witness who lays the foundation.
  5. Tick the objections you have practiced, time the opening and work through the checklist.

Plan a case

How a round runs

The order of a trialOpeningPDProsecutionwitnessesdirect by Pcross by DDefensewitnessesdirect by Dcross by PClosingPD, then P rebutsP = prosecution or plaintiff, D = defense. The side with the burden speaks first and last.The order of a trialOpeningP · DProsecution witnessesdirect by P · cross by DDefense witnessesdirect by D · cross by PClosingP · D, then P rebutsP = prosecution or plaintiff, D = defense.
Competitions add their own rules on timing, rebuttal and what witnesses may say beyond their statements; the case packet’s rules come first.

Burden of proof

In a criminal case the prosecution must prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt; in a civil case the plaintiff must prove each element by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not. A defense theory does not have to prove what happened, only that one element is not proved to that standard.

Direct and cross

On direct, ask open questions so the witness tells the story; leading questions are generally not allowed. On cross, short leading questions keep control. Most competitions use a simplified version of the Federal Rules of Evidence, so learn hearsay, relevance, foundation and personal knowledge first.

Sources

  1. Federal Rules of Evidence: 401–403 (relevance), 404 (character), 602 (personal knowledge), 611(c) (leading questions), 801–802 (hearsay).
  2. In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358 (1970): proof beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal cases.
  3. American Bar Association, Division for Public Education. Mock trial resources for teachers and students (americanbar.org).
  4. Constitutional Rights Foundation. Mock Trial program materials (crf-usa.org).

The worked example is made up and is not a real case. Competition rules and the case packet govern your round. Plans stay on this device until you print or export them. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.