A mock trial team from Stetson will be competing to become the nation’s best, April 17-19 in Washington, D.C., at the 41st Annual American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship Tournament!

The event is the final round of the AMTA’s national tournament structure and features more than 50 top teams that advanced from intense regional competitions. At its regional, two teams from Stetson qualified for the semi-finals of the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS). At the ORCS, one team delivered unprecedented success — becoming the first Stetson team to earn a direct bid to the Nationals.

For the second year in a row, Stetson is the only school from Florida to advance to the Nationals. Also, in only four years the program has ascended from unranked to join the elite out of more than 700 teams from across America.

“These results reflect an extraordinary amount of work by our students and coaches, and they represent a significant achievement for Stetson,” commented Pre-Law Director Joshua Rust, PhD, professor of Philosophy. “This is a testament to their dedication, preparation and skill.”

Team members are Daishia Philpot, Temi Adediji, Aiden Ramsey, Casey Vallecorsa, Daishia Philpot, Ryan Hansen, Riley Koster, Kennedy Wimes and Jiya Amin. The coach is Andrew Langenbach, staff attorney with Volusia County Public Schools and a former assistant Florida state attorney.

In Washington, D.C., at the Nationals, hosted by George Washington University and The Catholic University of America, the competition includes The Ohio State University, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Duke University and Dartmouth College, among others.

The list is impressive. Yet, Langenbach is certain Stetson belongs in that company, citing comments from judges at the regional competition. “One judge said that after five years of coaching a university team and 20 years of judging, our team’s round was the best he had ever seen. Another judge remarked that our defense closing argument was the best closing he had ever witnessed,” Langenbach said.

Experiential Learning

Rust pointed to the university’s Hatter Ready approach of immersive learning outside the classroom. He believes the Mock Trial teams exemplify such innovative, experiential education. “This is the essence of it,” he said. “Mock Trial and our many other competition teams represent the kind of future for the university that the faculty wanted to create when they built the Hatter Ready program.”

An undergraduate mock trial team typically consists of six to 10 members. According to AMTA guidelines, three members of a team serve as attorneys and three as witnesses, often allowing for additional members to act as alternates or to fill specific roles. In all, Stetson’s mock trial program, established in 2013,  totals approximately 20 undergraduate students and one coach, divided into two teams.

Team involvement is centered on learning legal procedure and courtroom etiquette. Although many members plan to attend law school after graduation, participants ultimately develop critical thinking, public speaking skills and the ability to form rational oral arguments on demand.

This spring semester, the students — representing diverse academic areas from throughout the campus — are practicing up to six days a week in preparation for their grand Nationals test.

“They made it to Nationals, and they remain the best undergraduate mock trial team in Florida. No matter how they perform in D.C., I am extremely proud of each of them,” Rust concluded.

Note: If you are interested in supporting the Mock Trial team, please reach out to Stetson’s Office of Development — Tara Hamilton, assistant vice president of Development Initiatives, [email protected].

-Michael Candelaria