The Central College mock trial team will compete at the American Mock Trial Association Opening Round Championships (ORCs) hosted by the University of Calif.-Irvine March 10-11 in Newport Beach, Calif.
Central’s nine-member squad received an at-large bid to the ORC following regional competition and will face off against 23 teams from across the nation for the chance to advance to the AMTA National Championship Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., April 13-15. The top six teams from each of the eight ORCs qualify for the national tournament.
“The tournament we are attending includes some elite mock trial programs, including UCLA, which won the national title last season,” said coach Andrew Green, associate professor of political science. “As the team returns all nine students next year, competing against the nation’s best will provide valuable lessons as we continue to build our program at Central.”
Central’s ORC tournament field also includes teams from Stanford University, University of Southern California and Arizona State University, among others.
The Central College mock trial team is open to students from all academic disciplines. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday during the academic year and participates in approximately six competitions per year, beginning in the fall. Students can earn academic credit for participation.
Participating in the ORC marks the first time Central has qualified a team to a national competition since 2004.
“The team’s goal is to be in the top six at the end of the tournament,” said Green.
