SPRING LEAGUES PREVIEW
The Spring Leagues Kick-Off This Weekend
The Spring Leagues are back bigger and better than ever, with a record-breaking 72 teams from 3 countries, 21 states and D.C., all preparing for one last dance in the 2023/24 season.
Last year, 60 teams competed in the inaugural edition of the Spring Leagues, Empire’s first foray into a regular competition outside the usual Fall window. Created to provide teams who weren’t ready to say goodbye to their season with one last competition, the Spring Leagues also aim to increase accessibility to high-quality mock trial as much as possible. In 2024, 16 teams received admission to the Spring Leagues completely free of cost; the average cost per student to compete is $15.
The Trial
The 2024 Spring Leagues case, Shapiro v Sapphire Submarine Expreditions, is a wrongful death lawsuit that focuses on themes of corporate negligence and the duties owed by businesses to their patrons. Teams will litigate the question of whether or not Sapphire Submarines was grossly negligent, resulting in the death of Shapiro’s family on board the company’s commercial submarine.
The Leagues
The 2024 Spring Leagues will return to its dual-league format.
To qualify for entry into the 2024 Sapphire League, teams had to successfully compete in at least 1 trial across the 2023/24 school year. This year, 55 teams will compete in the Sapphire League, making it the largest competition field that Empire has ever hosted.
To qualify for the Premier League, teams had to finish inside the top 5 at either their state competition or an Empire competition in 2023/24 for automatic entry, with some teams qualifying from the next 5 ranks in their state. Eighteen such teams will duke it out in the Premier League to battle for pole position going into the playoff series.
The top six teams from the Premier League will qualify for the playoff series, and will be joined by the top two ranked series from the Sapphire League. The eight-team playoff series will follow a single-elimination structure with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a grand final.
The Impact
Highlights from 2023 include former 2015 Empire World Champions, Dos Pueblos High School taking home the first-ever Spring Leagues Championship trophy. Among the competitors in the Sapphire League was the team from the Math, Civics and Science Charter School (MCSCS). The team has become a regular at Empire competitions in the last few years and regularly challenge for podium positions. MCSC placed at the top of the Sapphire League, earning them a promotion to the Final 8 Playoff Series.
“We had an absolute blast in the first inaugural Spring Leagues.” said the team, “We scrimmaged a bunch of teams and made so many new friends from all over. We remember when we were a new team in 2018, and how warm and welcoming Empire veterans Henrico, Jonesboro, and Kings were to us, so we try to replicate that warm welcome for new teams.”
Newcomers to Empire, Lake Howell High School, found the Spring Leagues to be the perfect opportunity to rewrite their season ending. Sharing they became interested in the Leagues “after competing at our State competition in 2023. We didn't preform as well was we had wished at States, so we wanted another chance and Spring Leagues gave us that.” After competing in the inaugural Spring Leagues, the Lake Howell High School students placed 5th in the Sapphire League and had this to say, “I would tell any team considering Spring Leagues to do it! It is a great way to end the year and is the most well ran competition we have ever competed in!”
The 2024 Spring Leagues are set to bring together a competitive field for one final weekend of competition in the 2023/24 season. Join us for the Opening Ceremony on Friday, May 17th at 7:30 PM ET (access to the ceremony will be shared across social media platforms). Or, volunteer to serve as a judge or juror and see just how competitive we are at the Spring Leagues.