Justin Matarrese
Executive Director
Justin Matarrese is a reformed mocker. A coach and competitor for nearly a decade, he hung up the suit and tie in 2015 and decided it was time for a change: instead of participating in fake trials, he began to run them full-time.
Reformed, indeed!
In reality, Justin’s involvement with Empire dates back to the organization’s founding. Empire was a passion project of his, developed in his Union Square dorm. Encouraged by his friends and supported by his father, he began exploring the idea of hosting a small mock trial tournament in the winter of 2007. At the time, Justin was a student at New York University, majoring in history but concentrating in mock trial. An eventual two-term President of the NYU Mock Trial team, college mock trial brought out Justin’s competitive spirit. But it was the sense of fulfillment he experienced from teaching that sparked his interest in starting the Empire City Invitational (now Empire New York), leading to his current career path with Empire.
As a college student, Justin wouldn’t let his team’s (intense) commitment to winning get in the way of his desire to treat others with respect. He viewed his courtroom adversaries as friends, and wanted to win the Spirit Award (for sportsmanship) as much as a Tournament Championship. He valued and appreciated the opportunity to make friends across the United States. His university’s generous funding of mock trial made it possible for him to traverse the country, experiencing new cities and cultures along the way. A young man who stepped foot on an airplane once before college lost track of the number of cities he visited by the time graduation hit. The relationships he formed and cities he explored changed his world-view in a way he could never have imagined.
These experiences shaped Justin and, as a result, the Empire City Invitational. Justin came to believe that offering mock trials, however competitive they may be, was only part of an effective educational program. He felt that, where possible, students should be placed in an environment where they could connect with peers in a fun atmosphere, experience new cultures and explore a new city. He believed that Empire’s objective should be to develop better all-around people, not superior trial advocates. This ethos permeates all Empire does today, where ceremonies, special events, socially relevant cases and public service projects are designed to foster a well-rounded and enriching student experience.
Now 37, Justin recognizes the immense privilege he had growing up that gave him the space and time to develop Empire. As he’s aged, he has tried to create an organizational culture that values compassion, kindness and public service. It’s hard for him to believe that 13 years has passed since the organization’s founding, during which he finished his history degree from NYU, and earned a JD and Certificate of Nonprofit Management from George Washington University; collected some mock trial hardware—a high school state championship (2009) and college national championship (2012), accompanied by AMTA’s Reynoldson Award for Coach of the Year; coordinated a mock trial program in Hong Kong, forming a partnership that exists to this day; expanded Empire’s impact tenfold, increasing the number of students served from 100 annually to well over 1,000; and passed (very recently) the Uniform Bar Exam en route to (hopefully) becoming a non-mock lawyer. But through it all, those that know Justin best would say his heart has remained unchanged. He still lights up when seeing a happy student at Empire, relishes the chance to connect with people he meets from all walks of life, loves sharing a good family style meal with loved ones, and is driven by a desire to make Empire’s programs more educational.
Every job has its own unique set of challenges, and Empire is no different. Running the organization, however, has been the "blessing of a lifetime.” Justin cannot imagine another job that would have given him the same opportunity to engage with thousands of students, travel to four countries, and collaborate with hundreds of inspiring volunteers, many of whom are program alumni. In so many ways, he considers Empire a dream job, and only hopes he can find as much fulfillment in the next chapter of his life—whenever or wherever that may be.
Justin is forever grateful for the support of his Empire Family, who have been alongside him throughout this awesome journey (See Our Story, How We Got Here ). He has an incredible group of loving friends—some would say a ‘core’— and an amazing brother-cousin, Dan, who provide him with love, support and good counsel.
Justin currently lives in Washington, DC where he works out of Empire’s DC office. He often enjoys jogging to the Washington Monument, until he remembers there’s a return trip home to run. Since age seven, he has been able to recite the American Presidents backwards and forwards. He thanks P.S. 36 for that gem, but especially Mrs. Greenfield, his 3rd grade teacher.