University of Cincinnati's Stephen Johnson prepares for the final.
Watch the final round of the 2024 competition.

Trial by Combat

The Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law and the UCLA School of Law co-host the Trial by Combat, the 1-on-1 collegiate mock trial national championship. This tournament aims to celebrate the best individual college competitors in the country—and identify the very best.

The eigth annual Trial by Combat will be held at Drexel Kline Law at the Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy on June 20-22, 2025.

Competition Format

Jonathan Kuang of UCLA addresses a witness during the final.

  • Competitors receive the case on the morning of the first day of the tournament and have approximately 24 hours to prepare.
  • Each trial has two attorneys (P attorney v. D attorney) and two witnesses (P witness v. D witness).
  • During the four preliminary trials, each competitor performs each of those four roles exactly once, though significantly greater weight is placed on attorney performance. The top four students compete as attorneys in the Semifinals, and the winners compete as attorneys in the Championship Trial.
  • The field is limited to 16 competitors nationwide.
  • During the tournament, competitors may receive help/coaching from one person—a coach, a teammate, an alum, whomever they wish.
  • Competitors may also receive assistance from a Second Chair -- any current/graduating student from their school.

2025 Tournament

The field will be announced in April 2025.

Apply for Trial by Combat

View past competition results and videos