20 Years
of Empire
We’re honoring Empire’s history with a celebration befitting of Empirion, starting with our 20th season this year and extending to our anniversary in June of 2027. Join us as we commemorate the people who made Empire possible and the memories that we’ll never forget.
Watch the Reveal
The Classic Empire Blue
It wouldn’t be Empire without our classic navy blue! From 2007-2015, our branding focused on our two core colors: navy blue and silver. In 2016, we introduced the lighter blues you see today, and in 2019, we introduced city-specific accent colors for the first time.
20 Seasons, 19 Years?
Empire began as a single competition, the Empire City Invitational, which took place in the summer of 2007, at the end of the 2006 mock trial season. In true Empire fashion, we wanted to honor our 20th season, all regular season long! Starting this Fall, we’ll honor the legacy of the last 20 seasons, ending with a huge birthday celebration in 2027 to celebrate our 20th Anniversary Year.
7 Stars for 7 Countries
Throughout our 20 season history, Empire has had the honor of hosting teams from 7 countries around the world: England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong.
Meet Our 20th Season Brand
Follow the Launch
Ready to see where we’re competing this season? Follow us on social media so you don’t miss an announcement!
A letter from our founder:
Dear Students & Empire Family:
It was June 15, 2007.
There was no Instagram or Tik Tok.
Facebook was in its infancy.
No one had an iPhone in their pocket because it had not yet been released.
And fall high school mock trial tournaments were not a thing. Students competed in their local mock trials and one school per year would qualify for the national competition. And international students weren’t really competing in American mock trial either.
Empire Through the Years
-
May 8, 2007
Justin Matarrese, with the assistance of his father Gregory, starts the THS Mock Trial Association, Inc. to coordinate Empire City Invitational and to fundraise for his alma mater, Tottenville High School. The nonprofit is incorporated in New York State and registered with the IRS as a 501 (c)(3).
-
June 15–17, 2007
Nonprofits hosts first Empire City Invitational at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. Eleven schools and 97 students participate.
-
October 10–12, 2008
Empire City Invitational establishes itself as a fall competition. International students compete for the first time, traveling from Australia, Ireland, and the Republic of Korea.
-
October 16–18, 2009
Our Lady’s College (Greenhills, Drogheda) becomes the first and only international school to win an Empire competition. Students from the United Kingdom compete for the first time.
-
October 29, 2009
Organization changes name to Empire Mock Trial Association, Inc. to reflect the broadening of its mission to serve students worldwide.
-
October 15, 2010
Hosts first modern Empire Opening Ceremony, featuring an emcee, video, anthem singers, and an Empire Exchange. Ceremony held at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Students from Canada compete for first time, and field expands from 18 to 30 teams.
-
January 21–23, 2011
Formally partners with New York University to host the Downtown Invitational, a 16–18 team competition bringing together the top college mock trial teams in the country. In 2018, Empire retires the tournament to focus on more mission-critical work.
-
October 22, 2012
La Reina High School (Thousand Oaks, CA) becomes first team to win back-to-back Empire World Championships. Defeat Dos Pueblos High School (Goleta, CA) in the Final Round, held in ballroom at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge due to Hurricane Sandy.
-
October 22–25, 2012
Hurricane Sandy strands hundreds of students for up to five days at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, with many schools featured on local news stations. (See here)
-
October 24–27, 2014
Empire City Invitational rebrands as Empire New York: The World Championship to provide brand alignment with the upcoming San Francisco competition.
-
November 21–24, 2014
Empire San Francisco: New Beginning opens at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, becoming the first Empire competition to be held outside Brooklyn.
-
November 21, 2014
Host Opening Ceremony of Empire San Francisco at San Francisco City Hall, marking the first time that Empire hosts an Opening Ceremony outside of a competition hotel.
-
July 6, 2015
Announce new focus on topical, socially relevant cases, and organization releases Jefferies v. Polk County Police Department, licensed from the American Mock Trial Association.
-
September 10–14, 2015
Empire Atlanta: The Southern Showdown opens at the Fulton County Superior Court. Empire hosts three competitions in the fall for the first time, a trend that continues from 2015–2019.
-
November 21–23, 2015
Barker College from Sydney, Australia finishes fourth at Empire San Francisco, becoming the first international school in six years to place in the top five at an Empire competition.
-
2016
Organization celebrates 10 seasons and introduces several major changes to programming, including an original case (U.S. v. Canjoe), the Pre-Trial Oral Argument, a Guest Witness pilot, and need-based scholarships for teams.
-
September 10–12, 2016
Pre-Trial Oral Argument debuts at Empire San Francisco.
-
November 11–14, 2016
Empire New York shifts from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Students stay at a hotel in Times Square and compete in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Students participate in the Guest Witness program for the first time. Empire hosts the largest competition in its history with 44 teams, a feat repeated in Chicago in 2024.
-
April 29–30, 2017
Formally partners with ARCH Community Outreach to host local competition for high school students in Hong Kong at Hong Kong University. Over the ensuing three years, program impacts 600 students from 72 teams.
-
June 1, 2017
Introduce local scholarships for teams that are within driving distance of Empire competitions.
-
September 21–25, 2017
For one year only, Empire Atlanta held in Clayton County State Court, with students traveling from downtown Atlanta.
-
September 24, 2017
A pilot version of PROcess is launched, a digital tabulation software built in Google Sheets.
-
October 6, 2017
Hosts first public service project ever, with students volunteering at Glide Memorial and preparing lunch for unhoused residents in San Francisco.
-
January 20–22, 2018
Hosts final Downtown Invitational Classic, featuring 18 of the nation’s best college mock trial teams.
-
June 1, 2018
Expand need-based scholarship package to include hotel accommodations for select schools experiencing financial hardship.
-
September 21–24, 2018
Empire Atlanta moves to the Georgia World Congress Center, marking the first time an Empire competition takes place outside of a courthouse. Students stay at the Embassy Suites Centennial Park.
-
October 11–14, 2019
Partner with Hilton Midtown New York to host Empire New York: World Championship. Trials are held at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
-
November 1–4, 2019
Hosts final Empire San Francisco, which is commemorated with a farewell presentation and video. (Watch here)
-
November 18, 2019
Announce opening of Empire Chicago: The Windy City Challenge in a livestream held in front of Lake Michigan.
-
2020
Develop Empire Online to operate and support online mock trial programs. Create two virtual competition formats and produce accompanying materials. Launch first web-based version of PROcess. (Watch Empire Online rollout video here)
-
October 29–31, 2020
Host first online competition, Empire Chicago @ Home. Pilot web-based version of PROcess.
-
2021
During pandemic, provide software and staffing for 21 mock trial tournaments, facilitating 900 rounds for 3,400 students nationwide. Continue to provide software and staffing services to fellow competition organizers. (Read more here)
-
November 12–15, 2021
Host Empire Chicago: Windy City Landing at the Hilton Chicago: first ever Chicago tournament, first nationwide in-person invitational post-COVID, and the first held entirely in a hotel. (Read more here)
-
September 22–25, 2022
Host Empire Baltimore: The Camden Yards Classic entirely in-house at the Hilton Baltimore in partnership with MYLAW. The “digital courtroom” debuts, with teams using laptops, livestreamed rounds, and electronic exhibits. (Read more here)
-
May 19–21, 2023
Debut of inaugural Spring Leagues—online competition with two leagues organized based on experience level—designed to provide access to any student that wishes to compete on a national stage. 600 students from 3 countries and 23 states compete. Title 1 schools participate for free. Program continues to this day, growing in size every year. (Read more here)
-
September 22–25, 2023 & November 4–6, 2023
Host two competitions in the same city in the same season for the first time: Windy City Challenge in September and World Championship in November. Palmer House debuts as an Empire partner hotel.
-
September 27–30, 2024
Premiere of Empire Philly: Constitution Classic. Trials held at the Juanita Stout Center for Criminal Justice, and the Opening Ceremony held at the Franklin Institute—the first non-hotel Opening Ceremony venue since San Francisco City Hall in 2015.
-
November 7–10, 2025
Empire celebrates five years in Chicago. Hosts first ever competition at two different venues (Palmer House & Renaissance Marriott), caused by the last minute government shutdown. (Read more here)