About 90 students participate in PHC’s in-house moot court tournament each year, making it one of the largest undergraduate moot court competitions in the country. The PHC Sentinel Classic Moot Court Competition—as it is now called—is "an opportunity for students in Constitutional Law to apply what they're learning in practical ways and is also an entry point for new students to join PHC's competitive moot court team, which is the #1 program in the country,” said Coach Peter Kamakawiwoole.
Two freshmen, Luke Buck and Evelyn Sittner, won first place this fall. Freshmen Simon and Mackenzie Richards earned second. Semifinalists were sophomores Benjamin Arroyave and Haley Bock (third), as well as freshmen Zoe Aviles and Mia Hyams (fourth). PHC granted fifteen Top Orator Awards, the top three going to freshman Simon Richards (first), senior Williams Storz (second), and junior Aiden Forbes (third).
“This year’s Sentinel Classic field was particularly strong, and judges in both the prelims and the Saturday elimination rounds were impressed by the quality of the students’ advocacy," said Forensics Program Coordinator Sue Johnson.
PHC has earned 13 national championship titles in oral advocacy since 2005. For context, only one other institution has more than one national championship. And let's not forget the summer of 2016 when PHC returned from Geneva, Switzerland after its first attempt and PHC's first win in an international moot court competition.
PHC’s core class Constitutional Law requires each student to participate in the in-house moot court competition. At least two current State Solicitors competed in the tournament while students, not to mention hundreds of alumni who are now practicing law. 
“For students that want to go to law school, it serves as an excellent test to see if it is something you are interested in,” said senior Nik Frey, assistant director of this year’s tournament. “For students that are not interested in a legal career, it serves as a way to develop necessary skills to present your ideas and thoughts on complex topics.”
The competition forces students to think critically using the reasoning tools they develop in core classes. “It takes us out of the classroom setting and allows us to step into a practical, real-world experience,” Frey said.
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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.
