To quote one student competitor,

“NTAC was the most fun mock trial competition I have been to!”

On the last weekend in October, teams from around the country gathered at the 3rd district courthouse for the 23rd annual National Trial Advocacy Competition. The tournament kicked off on Friday night as 16 teams from across the country faced off in the first round. The case centered on a couple’s liability for a metal skeleton sculpture located in their yard, where a teenageer had snuck into their property, climbed the sculpture, fell, and was injured. Throughout the weekend, lawyers and judges volunteered to judge the competition and provided feedback to the students after each round of competition. On Saturday morning, teams returned for a second round and argued the other side of the problem, a valuable skill for all law students. During lunch, attendees enjoyed a scenic fall city view from Dickinson Wright’s Detroit office. The teams returned for the third round of the competition on Saturday afternoon. The teams then headed to the Detroit Athletic Club for the awards ceremony sponsored by the Litigation Section,  where participants took in panoramic views of the city, delicious food, and mingled with other schools, attorneys, and judges. The State Bar of Michigan President, Joseph P. McGill, praised and congratulated all of the hard work the teams put into this year’s case problem. President McGill reminded them that the skills and trial advocacy learned through the mock trial experience will serve them well as attorneys. Awards were given to students with the best opening statement – Kyle Parker, Harvard Law School, closing statements Rahul Jayaraman, Harvard Law School, best cross examination Janelle Fraga, Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, best direct examination – Logan Brtek, University of Kansas School of Law, and best witness Jonathan Crosmer, Washington University School of Law. The overall best advocate, the highest individual award, was presented to Janelle Fraga, Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. At the conclusion of the evening, the top four teams advancing to Sunday were announced: Harvard Law School; Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law; Mercer University School of Law; and Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law. All participants took home hand-crafted mugs to remember NTAC 2024.

On Sunday morning, the final four teams faced off: Harvard v Southern Methodist University and Mercer v Barry University. After the morning session, Harvard University and Mercer University faced off for the final. After several  objections and heated cross-examination, Harvard University emerged victorious as the 2024 National Trial Advocacy Competition Champions.  Overall, it was a weekend that showcased excellent trial advocacy and the bright future of the legal profession.

Emma Green is Co-Director of the National Trial Advocacy Competition and is an of counsel attorney at Miller Johnson where she practices family law in Grand Rapids, MI.