Each year the Constitutional Rights Foundation sponsors a Mock Trial Competition. The competition is statewide and Cornelia Connelly is a member of the Orange County chapter. Mock Trial combines law-related education with tournament-style competition. Using a simulated criminal court case, students explore current and complex legal, social, and constitutional issues. Student teams from over 40 local high schools prepare to enact every role in a trial with the guidance of attorney and teacher coaches. The teams meet at the Central Justice Center for eight rounds of competition. Superior Court, California Appellate, and Federal Court judges preside at the trials, and attorneys observe and rate the performance of student teams in a variety of categories. More than 1,000 students and hundreds of volunteers from the legal and education communities participate in the program.