Rhodes Plays Host to National Mock Trial Championship

Smart. Talented. Articulate. Dedicated. ese words aptly describe the top 48 out of 700 mock trial teams in the nation that were in Memphis April 14-16 for the 38th American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship.

The event was hosted by Rhodes and sponsored by Burch, Porter & Johnson and e University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. AMTA is the governing body for undergraduate mock trial competition, and the championship tournament marked the pinnacle of its season.

“It was such an honor to be selected by AMTA to host its premier event. All weekend we heard from students who praised the beauty of the courthouses and Rhodes campus,” says Anna Eldridge ’02, who directs Rhodes’ mock trial program. “We were so grateful to host these talented and incredible students from all over the country. It was thrilling to watch the exceptional championship round presided over by Judge Bernice Donald and hear the esteemed panel’s comments about the devotion, drive, and intellect of the students who make this competition so special.”

Rhodes’ mock trial A team was a tournament contender, but in the end, e University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) took home the championship trophy and Harvard University was runner-up.

Eldridge Receives Award

Eldridge received the Neal Smith Award, given annually to an individual who has made outstanding and exemplary contributions to law-related education and the mission of promoting public understanding of law and the legal process. Emeritus Professor of Political Science Marcus Pohlmann, who formed Rhodes’ rst mock trial team in 1987, presented Eldridge with the award and noted her achievements of having a lucrative law practice, providing pro bono work, teaching law-related courses at the high school and college level, and founding Rhodes’ summer Mock Trial Academy for high school students.