PHC teams advance in AMTA's mock trial competition

PHC's Amber and Gold mock trial teams qualified for the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), an opportunity shared with only a quarter of teams in the nation.

What is ORCS?

College mock trial takes place under the auspices of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). More than 700 teams compete at Regional tournaments in February, vying to earn one of the 192 spots at ORCS. The top 25% of teams at each regional site earn a “bid” to compete at ORCS. Competition at Regionals is strong, so it’s always exciting to earn the opportunity to keep going.

The AMTA competition has three tiers: Regionals, ORCS, and Nationals.

The top teams of ORCS then earn a spot to compete at Nationals, where the teams are split into two divisions of 24 teams. Each team will compete in four rounds, twice on each side of the case, and the two division winners will meet in a final championship round.

PHC started doing mock trial when former Dean of Students, the late Frank Guliuzza, began working at PHC in the fall of 2008. He believed it was a valuable forensics activity and a great complement to PHC’s involvement in collegiate moot court. Mock trial also promotes analytical thinking, winsome communication, and leadership skills. Additionally, students learn to work together as a team, learning how to listen and think on their feet; each trial can involve many different witnesses and theories. Many mock trial students plan to attend law school after graduation, but some do not; they simply enjoy the intellectual challenge and camaraderie of mock trial.

At the Williamsburg Regional, Allie Satterfield from Amber and Reid Ritter from Gold won All-Region Witness Awards, while Nik Frey on Gold won an All-Region Attorney Award. Students invest many hours in developing their materials. Evan Lopez, a seasoned mock trial competitor, said, "Students dedicate 10-15 hours finalizing their material and practicing it in the week leading up to the tournament. Prior to that, they consistently invest 5-10 hours into their craft, depending on what needs to be written."

Evan further explained, “My own experience at Regionals was amazing! We performed very well as a team and consistently outperformed our competitors. Our content was very streamlined, and our delivery was some of the best that I have seen. My favorite story from Regionals was when we faced the University of Maryland. They were one of the best teams we've faced the entire year, and this was our first time running our Defense side at the tournament. As the round started, I could tell that our performance was going to reach another level, even though our Defense had not performed great historically. Our whole team delivered the content well, and our arguments clicked in a new way. Our team was capable then, and it gives me so much confidence in our ability to compete at ORCS."

Congratulations to all who have qualified, carrying on the legacy of PHC at ORCS!

 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.