McGeorge School of Law hosted the 17th Annual National Ethics Trial Competition on March 28-30, 2025. Selected teams competed at the historic Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento.
About the competition
McGeorge's National Ethics Trial Competition was established in 2006 to promote ethical and civility awareness through the mock trial competition format. As far as we know, it is the only law school-sponsored competition that features both an ethical component in the issues to be tried and scoring based on the participants' observation of ethical and civility principles. The competition provides an opportunity for student trial lawyers to develop and display their knowledge and skills of professional responsibility in trial work. Trials are judged by distinguished members of the bench and bar, including judges of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Superior Courts of California, and members of the Anthony M. Kennedy and Milton Schwartz Inns of Court.
Format
There will be four preliminary rounds (each side will be guaranteed to go twice), a Semi-Final, and a Final.
Each team shall be comprised of four law students. Each team will consist of either 2, 3 or 4 members who advocate during the competition. In each round, two students will be advocates and two students will play the witnesses for their side. Over the course of the competition, teams may choose whether all team members will perform advocate roles or whether some will play witnesses only.
Case File
The case file was released on Feb. 21, 2025.
Applications
Applications were due Nov. 8, 2024, and invitations were sent out Nov. 12, 2024.
There will be a $1,000 registration fee due to secure the spot of invited teams, which covers the banquet, awards, and swag.
2025 Competing Schools
- Baylor University School of Law
- Brigham Young University Law School
- Brooklyn School of Law
- Louisiana State University Law School
- Loyola Law School
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Mercer University School of Law
- Stetson University College of Law
- UC Berkeley School of Law
- UC Davis School of Law
- UC Law San Francisco
- UCLA School of Law
- University of Buffalo College of Law
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law
- University of Houston Law Center
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law
Results from the 17th Annual National Ethics Trial Competition
- Champion: UCLA School of Law
- Finalist: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law
- Semifinalists: UC Law San Francisco and University of Denver Sturm College of Law
- Individual Awards:
- Best Opening: Madison Thomas, UCLA School of Law
- Best Direct: Camille Obert, Stetson University College of Law
- Best Cross: Anagha Chandramoulin, UCLA School of Law
- Best Closing: Ashley Bussell, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law
- Best Advocate: Andrew Gray, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law
- Most Professional Team Award: Stetson University College of Law
