Model Illinois Government

Model Illinois Government has an online home which is one of the preeminent intercollegiate government simulations in the United States. 2015 was the 37th and by going to their Web site teachers and students can learn a lot. Check out their Web site and learn a great deal. <http://www.modelillinoisgovernment.org/index.php>.

Each spring semester, students from around the state of Illinois participate in the Model Illinois Government simulation. The 2015 simulation took place at the Capitol Complex in Springfield in February. Nearly 300 students from over 20 colleges and universities converged on the Illinois State Capital to gain more experiences in a weekend than in a semester of classes.

MIG Delegates are structured for a legislative simulation and others prepare for oral argument in the Supreme Court competition. Students choose among various roles including: Legislators, lobbyists, journalists, attorneys, justices, budget analysts, as well as many leadership positions within the parties and committees. Within the legislature, students are assigned political parties and districts and placed in committees of their particular interests. The legislators then simulate the legislative processes in the actual committee rooms and chambers of the Capitol building.

The Moot Court competition is held in the chambers that were once the home of the Illinois Supreme Court. Teams of attorneys argue before a panel of student justices and legal professionals and are scored on the basis of presentation and knowledge of the case fact. Please direct all questions to the Chief Justice. Find the Fact Pattern for the 2015 simulation on the Web site.

Awards are presented at the end of the simulation and students may also campaign for Executive Board positions (Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, etc.) in order to take a more active role in the organization of the simulation.

I was very fortunate to serve as Chief Justice during the 2014 Model Illinois Government. The students were amazing. ■