Created by Prof. Joe Lester, Nova Southeastern,
for the Law School Trial Team Community
Spring Trial Competition Information
THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BUT IS AS CURRENT AS OF June 5, 2026. Competitions are Listed in Chronological Order by Competition Date
Shark Beach Showdown IV
Hosted by Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, the Shark Beach Showdown IV National Trial Competition will take place in South Florida in February 2026. Top trial advocacy law schools from across the country will send teams to compete in this unique trial competition, which begins with a public Challenge Ceremony where schools choose their first-round opponents.
Format: Each school is guaranteed four preliminary rounds, representing both sides of the case twice. The first two rounds,, each school will be assigned a witness. After the preliminary rounds, the field will be narrowed to the top eight teams, who will compete in quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship rounds at the Broward County Central Courthouse. Awards will be given for best opening statement, closing argument, direct examination, and cross-examination, as well as an overall outstanding advocate award, known as the “Tintin” Award.
Date: February 2026
Applications: TBD.
Contact: For additional questions or details, click HERE.
National Trial Competition
The national competition is co-sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) and the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). There are 15 geographic regions set by TYLA. Each region sends two representatives to the national tournament, which rotates between major cities in Texas, including Austin, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Schools may enter one or two teams. The regional competitions are usually held during one of the first three weeks in February. The national tournament is generally held in late March or early April. The regional problem is a different fact pattern than the national problem.
Format: Each regional competition is hosted by one of the law schools. The regional competition format consists of at least three preliminary rounds. Regional hosts may decide how to handle witnesses according to the options in the rules, but teams advancing to the finals in Texas will be required to bring witnesses for the witness pool. The top two teams from each region advance to the national tournament. It is possible that the top two teams may be from the same school.
Date: Regionals — early to mid-February 2027. Nationals — late March to early April 2027. Exact dates and host city are TBD.
Applications: Applications are expected to open in early September 2026 and remain open until November 2026. Entry fee TBD.
Contact: TYLA or Bree Trevino directly.
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American Association for Justice
AAJ’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition (STAC) is one of the two major open-admission national trial competitions, along with NTC. The competition has regional tournaments throughout the country so schools can compete against different programs without always traveling as far as they may for other competitions. The regional competition and the national competition use the same fact pattern. The fact pattern is always civil. The national finals location varies from year to year. Schools may enter one or two teams depending on how early they register once registration opens.
Format: Each region typically has 16 teams. There are three randomly paired preliminary rounds, followed by a cut to semifinals. Two teams from each region advance to nationals.
Date: Regionals — usually the first or second weekend in March 2027. Nationals — late March or early April 2027. Regional assignments are usually released in January. The problem is usually released in late December 2026 or early January 2027.
APPLICATIONS: Applications are expected to open in mid-September 2026 and remain open until November 2026. Advocates must join AAJ to compete.
Contact: AAJ at STAC@justice.org.
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South Texas Mock Trial Challenge
One of the best competitions around, usually with a large field. Teams are scored by ranking the advocates 1–4. The competition also includes a trial brief. There are three preliminary rounds and then a hidden octo-final, so every team gets four rounds.
Date: Spring 2027. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027. Registration details and entry fee are TBD.
Contact: Rob Galloway or Haley Stenhouse.
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The Crimson Cup
Hosted by Harvard Law School, The Crimson Cup was created as an in-person tournament held on the law school campus. The competition has included four preliminary rounds for all competitors and a final round for the top two teams. Up to four students may compete on each team. During preliminary rounds, teams provide their own witnesses. Additional information is provided to registered teams.
Date: Spring 2027 status TBD. Confirm whether the competition will return for the 2026–2027 season.
Applications: TBD.
Contact: Harvard Law School Mock Trial Association at harvardcrimsoncup@gmail.com.
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Southern Classic Trial Advocacy Competition
Hosted by the University of Mississippi Trial Advocacy Board, this competition has previously included preliminary rounds followed by semifinals and finals.
Date: Spring 2027 status TBD. Confirm whether the competition will return for the 2026–2027 season.
Applications: TBD.
Contact: Ole Miss Trial Advocacy Board.
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John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Competition
Hosted by George Mason, this annual competition is unique because teams try only one side of the case and are not given all the information in the packet at the beginning. The competition reveals facts and witnesses as the tournament progresses. It also uses the Virginia Rules of Evidence and the Virginia Rules of Criminal Procedure. One interesting feature is that the best prosecution team faces the best defense team in the final round, so the finals may be a repeat of the semifinals.
Date: Spring 2027, usually February. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected to open in mid-September 2026 and remain open through November 2026.
Contact: George Mason Law School or Annette Yospe at gmusltrialad@gmu.edu.
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Queens County District Attorney’s Office Trial Competition
This competition is housed at the Queens County Courthouse in New York. Traditionally a fall competition, it has also been held in the spring. Only second-year law students are eligible to compete. There are two preliminary rounds before the competition cuts to quarterfinals.
Date: Spring 2027, usually March. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected to close in fall 2026. Registration details and entry fee are TBD.
Contact: QDA Mock Trial.
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Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition
Although hosted by George Washington Law School in Washington, D.C., this competition is held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is a two-day competition with two preliminary rounds followed by a cut to semifinals. The competition is usually held in April.
Date: Spring 2027, usually April. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected priority deadline in early January 2027.
Contact: George Washington University Law School or Estrella, LLC.
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Florida National Trial Advocacy Tournament
Hosted by the University of Florida, this competition has traditionally involved a criminal case. The winning team receives the well-known alligator trophy. The competition is invitational and usually includes a limited field of teams.
Date: Spring 2027. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.
Contact: Janeil Morgan or Professor Jennifer Zedalis.
*****
Trials & Tribulations National Trial Competition
Hosted by the University of South Carolina, this unique competition consists of bench trials rather than jury trials. Each team tries a case against each team in its division, giving competitors a high number of trial rounds.
Format: True round robin for each division. The two division winners face off in the final round.
Date: Spring 2027, usually March. Exact dates are TBD.
Applications: Expected to open in late December 2026 or early January 2027.
Contact: Brett Bayne.
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Top Gun
Baylor Law School hosts this invitation-only tournament, which is one of the most unique trial competitions in the country. Teams consist of one law student advocate and one co-counsel who assists with technology. It is a true one-on-one advocacy competition. To make the competition even more challenging, the fact pattern is not released until 24 hours before the competition begins. The winner of this competition truly earns the title “Top Gun.” Sixteen schools are invited to compete.
Format: There are four preliminary rounds. In the first two rounds, the trials have one live witness on each side. The third and fourth rounds are power-matched, to the extent possible, so each advocate represents both sides twice during the preliminary rounds. The third and fourth rounds have two live witnesses. In the semifinals and finals, advocates are allowed three live witnesses. The competition cuts from 16 to 4 after the fourth round. There is usually a celebration and introduction dinner on Wednesday night. The problem is handed out early Thursday morning in an elaborate unveiling. Teams have all day Thursday to prepare. Rounds 1 and 2 are on Friday, Rounds 3 and 4 are on Saturday, and semifinals and finals are on Sunday.
Date: Usually late May or early June 2027.
Applications: Baylor selects the invited schools. There is no formal application. Schools may submit résumés of their success over the academic year, but it is not required.
Contact: Kathy Serr.