Mock Trial Team Advances to National Championship Tournament

Posted March 14, 2016

Georgia Tech’s Mock Trial team is having a season for the record books. 

Students from the team have earned over 25 individual awards and seven team awards over the course of the season. Team A has an overall record, since October, of 42 - 6, and they have only lost one judge’s ballot since early November. 

Mock Trial activities are situated within the Pre-Law Program in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy’s and overseen by program director Robert Pikowsky. 

During this season, Tech has beaten teams from Duke University, Florida, Florida State, Indiana University, University of Georgia, and University of South Carolina. The week of March 12 - 13, Georgia Tech hosted the Opening Round Championship Series tournament, held at the Dekalb County Courthouse. Team A placed second with a record of 6-1-1, with the only loss coming to the tournament winner, Duke University. Students Jason Gupta and Sarah Stebbins earned honors as Outstanding Witness and Outstanding Attorney respectively. This marks the sixth time, this season, that Gupta and Stebbins have received individual awards. 

This placement confirms Georgia Tech as one of the top 48 mock trial teams in the country and secures a place in the National Championship tournament next month at Furman University. Team A previously placed in the Orlando Regional Tournament and Seminole Smackdown to advance to the Opening Round Championship.

Team A was undefeated and Team B was honored with the Spirit of American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) Award, which is given to the team that best exemplifies the ideals of honesty, civility, and fair play. This is the second time this season that Georgia Tech received such an award.

Team B narrowly missed advancing to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) tournament due to a tiebreaker after the final round.

At the Seminole Smackdown, Team A was again undefeated and placed first in the entire tournament.

In January, Georgia Tech competed in two invitational tournaments. Georgia Tech hosted the Ramblin' Wreck Invitational Tournament for the eleventh year, where teams from around the country competed. Team C, a team of all first and one fourth year students, placed fifth.  

If you would like to support Georgia Tech at the National Championship, find out more here. Opening Ceremonies will be held at noon on Friday, April 15 and the Championship Trial will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 17.