Mock Trial Team Places Second at Regional Tournament - Earns Bid to National Championship

UAB’s Mock Trial Team placed second at the South regional Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) tournament in Memphis, TN the weekend of March 23rd-25th   The purpose of ORCS competitions, which are held in four regions across the country, is to determine which teams qualify for the American Mock Trial Association’s (AMTA) National Championship Tournament held April 13th-15th in Minneapolis. 

The Blazers won every round in the tournament except one in defeating teams from Portland State University, Middle Tennessee State University, and the University of Georgia.  The team lost one very close round to the tournament’s eventual winner and three time past national champion Rhodes College.

Team members Grady Lowman and Ariel Smith won individual awards for their roles in the competition.  Other team members include Brian Price, Kimberly Jeter, Valencia Jackson, Yamini Bhat, Ali Massoud, Thor Christianson, Priyanka Patel, and Dhvanil Zaveri.

UAB now joins 47 other of the nation’s more than 600 AMTA sponsored mock trial teams that began the competitive season back in August to determine which team is the nation’s best.  By qualifying for the national tournament, which UAB has done all but three times the past fifteen years, UAB placed itself in the top 10% of teams nationally.

For more information about UAB’s award winning mock trial team, please contact the team’s coaches: Joseph Dease at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Nathan Mays at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .