Vanderbilt Mock Trial Reaches Nationals After 12 Years

For the first time since 2013, Vanderbilt University's mock trial team is heading to the national championship tournament after a stunning performance in Memphis last weekend.

The A Team dominated the Opening Round Championship Series March 20-22, finishing with a 7-1 record and earning their spot at the American Mock Trial Association's National Championship Tournament in Washington, D.C. this April. Junior Jordan Katz also won the prestigious All-National Attorney award, chosen from among 100 to 150 competing attorneys.

The Memphis weekend brought both triumphs and surprises. Vanderbilt swept Southern Methodist University, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and Baylor, winning all ballots from the judges. Their biggest upset came Saturday morning against Rhodes College, ranked in the top 10 nationally.

"We were pretty sure we weren't going to get any ballots," sophomore Allison Sellers admitted. The team split that match 1-1, a result that energized their entire weekend.

What makes Vanderbilt's achievement even more remarkable is what they're up against. Most nationally competitive mock trial programs have full-time paid coaches who prepare case strategies and train their attorneys and witnesses. Vanderbilt runs entirely on student power.

"We're a completely student-run organization, which is very different from a lot of the universities that are competitive at the national level," explained senior and team president Anavi Jain. "Mock trial is the most competitive academic activity nationally, so qualifying out of even regionals was an amazing feeling for us."

The Ripple Effect

The win carries special meaning for Vanderbilt's senior team members. Just before the national bid announcement, organizers held a senior recognition ceremony. For president Anavi Jain and another senior on the A Team, Memphis could have been their final competition ever.

"The moment that we found out we were going to nationals was amazing," Sellers said, describing the screaming celebration that erupted when their names were called. Now those seniors get one more chance to compete at the highest level.

The team isn't resting on their victory. They've already started preparing a completely new case for nationals, a felony robbery and homicide scenario they'll need to master in less than a month. They're connecting with law students, reaching out to other teams across the country, and diving into witness affidavits.

With momentum, determination, and 12 years of hunger behind them, Vanderbilt heads to George Washington University ready to prove that student-run teams belong on the national stage.