Tournament of Champions

Tournament of Champions

The National Board of Trial Advocacy and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy are the sponsors of the Tournament of Champions, an invitation-only competition that showcases some of the nation’s top law students from 16 of the top trial advocacy institutions. Each fall, law students compete in teams of four; each team tries both sides of a civil case—twice as plaintiffs and twice as defendants. In addition to the opportunity to compete against some of the nation’s top law talent, participants also receive the benefit of intensive, one-on-one coaching from top-tier professionals in law school trial advocacy programs.

The Tournament of Champions began in 1989, when Professor Charles E. “Chuck” Kirkwood of the University of Akron School of Law hosted the first competition inviting the best student trial advocacy law schools in the nation. Invitations were based on performance over the years in two “open” student trial competitions, the National Trial Competition and the ATLA National Student Trial Advocacy Competition. Qualifications are now based on a three-year performance record at the National Trial Competition and the American Association for Justice National Student Trial Advocacy Competition, and performances at prior Tournament of Champions competitions.

The TOC Board of Directors include: Susan Poehls, Loyola Law School Los Angeles;  Judge Jim Roberts; Cumberland School of Law and Joanne Van Dyke, Syracuse University College of Law.