Cornell College Mock Trial heads into the postseason by earning a bid to Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS).
Cornell’s Team 1058 will compete in St. Paul, Minnesota, March 14–16. The members of Team 1058 are Rachel Ruisch ’25, Jack Gross ’25, Kaden Legore ’27, Celina Schertz ’27, Daniele Ebert ’27, Luis Andres Roman Bonilla ’27, and Levi Thompson ’27.
The Opening Round Championship Series is the final qualifying tournament for the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) National Championship Tournament. More than 700 teams started the mock trial season, and only 192 will be competing in ORCS. The top six teams from ORCS will compete in the final, national championship in Cleveland, Ohio, in April.
“The team has worked incredibly hard to get to this point and have proven that they can compete on a national level,” said Head Coach Max Handler. “I’m proud of them, and I’m really looking forward to ORCS.”
The ORCS tournaments feature the best teams from AMTA’s regional events in February. Team 1058 competed at Regionals and received five wins, two losses, and one tie. They faced Indiana University Indianapolis, DePaul University, Illinois State, and Indiana University. Ruisch was named an All-Regional Witness, while Legore and Schertz were named All-Regional Attorneys.
The team, whose members have a signature of wearing colorful footwear—Crocs—to their competitions, has been working hard and traveling to competitions since the season started with team tryouts in September. They’ve competed in places such as St. Louis, Des Moines, Madison, and Nashville. Team 1058 is one of Cornell’s three teams that competed this season.
“We are so excited to be competing at ORCS,” Ruisch said. “There’s nothing better than competing at a high level with your closest friends, especially if you get to wear your Crocs.”
Mock trial is an intercollegiate activity that combines speech, theatre, and debate. Cornell's mock trial program gives students the chance to develop a better understanding of the courtroom process and the American legal system. Cornell’s mock trial program enhances each student’s critical thinking, analysis of logic, and public speaking skills in a competitive and collegial environment.