October 18-20, 2024 Syracuse, NY
The Syracuse National Trial Competition is an invitational tournament open to all ABA-accredited law schools. A minimum12 schools will be invited based on the quality of a school’s advocacy program and wide geographic diversity.
Important Dates:
- The deadline to apply is June 3, 2024
- Invitations will be announced on June 24, 2024
- The competition fact pattern will be distributed to participating schools in August 2024
What is the Syracuse National Trial Competition?
The Syracuse National Trial Competition is an invitational tournament open to all ABA-accredited law schools. A minimum of 12 schools will be invited based on the quality of a school’s advocacy program with a desire for wide geographic diversity.
The tournament allows students to develop and display the skills of a trial lawyer. Students conduct opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing arguments. The advocates are judged by distinguished members of the bench and bar from all over the country. Individual awards are given for student performances.
Review of the 2023 Competition
Congratulations to Stetson University College of Law, the Fifth Annual Syracuse National Trial Competition winner!
Thank you to the teams that competed:
American University College of Law
Fordham University School of Law
George Washington University Law School
Loyola University Law School, Los Angeles
Northern Kentucky University College of Law
Pace University School of Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Samford University Cumberland School of Law
South Texas College of Law
Stetson University College of Law
Suffolk University Law School
University at Buffalo School of Law
There were four preliminary rounds, and Taylor Zuberer from Stetson won the award for Best Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds. Honorable mention for Best Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds was a six-way tie and given to Willy Schwerin (Northern Kentucky) Rene Harrison (Stetson), Harrison Grant (American), Elisa Orlowski (Buffalo) Memona Niazi (South Texas) and Cole Metcalf (American).
The teams that advanced to the Semifinal Rounds were Stetson, Quinnipiac, South Texas, and Northern Kentucky. Stetson and South Texas advanced to the Final Round, and Stetson (Plaintiff) defeated South Texas (Defendant) by a 3-2 vote. There was a tie for the Best Advocate for the Final Round, and the winners were Renee Duffy (Stetson) and Dominic Tusha (Stetson). There was a three-way tie for the Ethics in Advocacy Award to Fordham, Loyola LA, and Stetson.
Thank you to the Honorable Miroslav Lovric (United States District Judge Northern District of New York), who presided over the final trial and all the judges and attorneys who judged/evaluated.
We’d also like to thank Judge Deborah Karalunas, Don Doerr, Esq., Mary Monashefsky, Chief Steven Bigzia, the court officers and the courthouse staff, who made hosting the tournament such a success.