Empire Teams Excel at Nationals
Empire Places Eight (8) Teams in the Top 20 at Nationals
Little Rock, Arkansas
When it comes to growth in the courtroom, there is no substitute for trial experience. We saw that ring true, once again, at the National High School Mock Trial Championship (“Nationals”) this past weekend.
Out of the 46 teams that qualified for Nationals, 20 had previously competed at Empire. And when it was all said and done, 13 of those teams had placed in the top 20 of the competition, including 8 that had participated in Empire last fall.
Is that a coincidence?
“Empire taught us what ‘good’ looked like in mock trial,” said Kristin Walinski, whose Henrico High School (Va) placed 14th at Nationals.
After competing at Empire New York in 2019, Henrico went on to capture its first state title in 2021 and its second title this past year.
“We are where we are because of our Empire experiences.”
Henrico wasn’t the only one that felt that way.
Founded three decades ago, the Jonesboro Mock Trial Program (GA) won back-to-back National Championships in 2007 and 2008 before struggling competitively in the four years that followed. The team’s coach, Judge John Carbo, reflected on the dry spell:
“The teams that were excelling in our state were going to Empire,” said Carbo, whose in-state rival won the Empire NY title in 2010. “So we applied for Empire for the first time in 2012 and we have been competing ever since.”
Over the past decade, Jonesboro has participated in Empire’s competitions in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and New York, capturing 6 Georgia state championships along the way.
The 2023 National High School Mock Trial Championship was hosted by the Arkansas Mock Trial Foundation and was the first in-person Nationals since COVID. Trials were held at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas as well as the Pulaski County Circuit Court. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former mock trialer herself, welcomed the students to the state’s capital in Little Rock.
13 teams that competed at Empire last fall qualified for Nationals in 2023, after capturing their state championship. They are:
Conway High (AR)
Covenant Classical (TX)
Faith Lutheran (NV)
Henrico (Va)
Jonesboro (GA)
Maine South (IL)
Montgomery Bell (TN)
Owasso (OK)*
St. Edward (OH)
Roman Catholic (PA)
Waukesha South (WI)
West HS (UT)*
Spain Park HS (AL)
*Did not compete at Nationals // Top 10 // Top 20
Next year’s Nationals will be hosted in Wilmington, Delaware. Will you be there to represent your state?
Start your pursuit for a National Championship with Empire. Applications are open for the 2023 competition season. Learn more and apply today.