The Montgomery Bell Academy's mock trial team poses with Mock Trial Committee Chair Ashley Tipton (back row, first on the left) and Mock Trial Committee Vice Chair Michael Holmes (back row, second on the right). The championship round was presided by Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner (front row, first on the left). The team is coached by Tracy Hancock, Wade Cowan, Marisa Combs-Smith and Tyler Ferguson.

MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY NAMED 2025 STATE AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Montgomery Bell Academy of Nashville claimed the state high school mock trial championship title defeating Agathos Classical School of Columbia. The team represented Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Phoenix, Arizona, May 7-10 and were crowned national champions (for more information see below).

The two-day state competition, sponsored by the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (TBA YLD), involved 16 teams and 200 volunteers, including lawyers, law students and paralegals. In addition, sitting judges in the state presided over the trial rounds at the Metro Davidson County Courthouse in downtown Nashville. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner presided over the championship match Saturday evening.

Montgomery Bell Academy has made it to the state championship round on numerous occasions and was named state champion in 1993, 1995, 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023. The team is coached by Nashville attorneys Tracy Hancock, Wade Cowan and Marisa Combs-Smith. To reach the state competition, each team had to win its respective district competition held throughout the state in February.

At a ceremony immediately preceding the championship round, students were recognized for their efforts. Nashville attorney and TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. and TBA YLD President Sean Aiello, an attorney in Franklin, presented awards to the top eight teams, the best lawyers and witnesses and the most valuable players for each team. Sevier County High School received the 2025 Sportsmanship Award. In addition, the top artist from the inaugural Artist in the Courtroom Competition was recognized. A slide show exhibiting artwork from all 30 student entries also was featured as part of the awards ceremony. See the list of all award winners below.

VIDEO of the Artist in the Courtoom slideshow

VIDEO of the championship round

TOP 3 ARTISTS

First place: Harper Cowart, Signal Mountain High School
Second place: Claire Yang, Houston High School
Third place: Louis Frankel, Houston High School

Harper Cowart with TBA YLD President Sean Aiello and TBA President Ed Lanquist, Jr.

TOP 8 TEAMS

1st Place: Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville)
2nd Place: Agathos Classical School (Columbia)
3rd Place: Harpeth Hall School (Nashville)
4th Place: Jefferson County High School (Dandridge)
5th Place: University School of Nashville (Nashville)
6th Place: Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis)
7th Place: CSTHEA Blue (Chattanooga)
8th Place: Clarksville High School (Clarksville)

2nd Place Team

The Agathos Classical School mock trial team. The team is coached by Cory Ricci, Jason Whatley and Luke Worsham.

SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Members of the Sevier County High School mock trial team pose with TBA YLD President Sean Aiello (back left) and TBA President Ed Lanquist, Jr, (back right). The team is coached by Judge Cindy Wyrick and Heinz Wieland.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

BEST ADVOCATE FOR THE PLAINTIFF

1st Place "The Robert Horton Campbell Award": Caroline Snyder, Jefferson County High School
2nd Place: Adley Ogles, Agathos Classical School
3rd Place: Louisa Brown, Harpeth Hall School

BEST ADVOCATE FOR THE DEFENDANT

1st Place: Ava Heuston, Clarksville High School
2nd Place: Kavneer Majhail, Montgomery Bell Academy
3rd Place: Elise Mason, Harpeth Hall School

BEST WITNESS FOR THE PLAINTIFF

1st Place: George Ma, Montgomery Bell Academy
2nd Place: Olivia Smelcer, Sevier County High School
3rd Place: Addison Snyder, Jefferson County High School

BEST WITNESS FOR THE DEFENDANT

1st Place: Selah Mitchell, CSTHEA- BLUE
2nd Place: Ellie Midha, St. Mary's Episcopal School
3rd Place: Simmons Bone, Harpeth Hall School

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)

Agathos Classical School: Molly Brandon
Central Magnet High School: Grace White
Clarksville High School: Karley Sugg
Cookeville High School: Annabella Stevens
CSTHEA — BLUE: Ariana Payne
CSTHEA - GREEN: Elizabeth Pierce
Elizabethton High School: Jackson Keller
Harpeth Hall School: Evie Moore
Jefferson County High School: Alexa Key
Lausanne Collegiate School: Madison Thomas
Maryville High School: Jonathan Humberd
Memphis University School: Chrishton King
Montgomery Bell Academy: Kenny Royer
Sevier County High School: Addison Wyrick
St. Mary's Episcopal School: Mary Alice Simpkins
University School of Nashville: Ophelia Cherry Pulay

PRESIDING JUDGES

Thank you to the Tennessee judges who volunteered at the competition:

Hon. Rachel Bell, Davidson County General Sessions Court
Hon. C. David Briley, Davidson County Circuit Court
Hon. Kee Bryant-McCormick, Sumner County General Sessions Court
Hon. Lee Bussart, Marhsall County General Sessions & Juvenile Court
Hon. Paul Conley III, Crocket County General Sessions & Juvenile Court
Hon. Katherine Crytzer, United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee
Hon. Nichole Dusche, Spring Hill Municipal Judge
Hon. Mark Fishburn, Davidson County Criminal Court (retired)
Hon. Tom Greenholtz, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Hon. Scott Griswold, Knox County Clerk & Special Master
Hon. Lynne Ingram, Davidson County Circuit Court
Hon. Douglas Jenkins, 3rd Judicial District Chancery Court
Hon. James Judkins, Woodbury Municipal Court
Hon. Stan Kweller, Davidson County Circuit Court (retired)
Hon. Alex McVeagh, Hamilton County Circuit Court
Hon. Ryan J. Moore, Warren County General Sessions Court
Hon. David H. Veile, Williamson County Circuit Court
Hon. Zachary R. Walden, 8th Judicial District Criminal Court

The TBA also thanks Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner for presiding over the championship round.

2024-2025 MOCK TRIAL COMMITTEE 

Chair: Ashley Tipton, Anderson & Reynolds, Nashville
Vice Chair: Michael Holmes, Carr Allison, Chattanooga
Immediate Past Chair & Long Range Planning Coordinator: Judge Zachary Walden, 8th Judicial Disrtrict Criminal Court

Members:
Anne Boatner
Paige Barbeauld
Wyatt Boston
John Jolley
Kate Melby
Holly Nehls
Bridget Pyman
Mitch Raines
Maggie Stringer
Daniel Zydel

STATE COMPETITION TEAMS

District 1: Elizabethton High School
Districts 2, 3 and 4: Jefferson County High School, Maryville High School and Sevier County High School
District 5: Chattanooga Southeast Home Education Association (CSTHEA) Blue and Green Teams
District 6: Cookeville High School
District 7: Central Magnet High School
Districts 8 and 10: Clarksville High School
District 9: Harpeth Hall School, Montgomery Bell Academy and University School of Nashville
District 11: Agathos Classical School
District 14: Lausanne Collegiate School, Memphis University School and St. Mary's Episcopal School

---

INFORMATION FOR TEAMS

All teams planning to compete in the 2025 High School Mock Trial Competition should fill out this form no later than Jan. 24, 2025: 2025 District HS MockTrial Team Registration Form

INFORMATION FOR DISTRICT COMPETITIONS

Access district competition information here

CASE MATERIALS

• Access the problem 
• Access the exhibits 
• Access the rules 
• Updated exhibit E

ARTIST IN THE COURTROOM COMPETITION INFORMATION 

Get more information on the Artist in the Courtroom Competition 

• Artist registration form 
• Artist release form 
• Artist in the Courtroom Competition scoresheet
• Access the rules 

TENNESSEE STATE HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION

Teams advancing from the district competitions will compete in Nashville on March 21-22, 2025 at the 2025 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition. Click here for important information and forms for teams qualifying for state. Please follow all deadlines.

INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS

Registration Form to volunteer (closed)

Access information and forms for judges, lawyers and law student volunteers for the state competition here. 

THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 SPONSORS!

Silver + Sponsor

Silver Sponsor
 

 

MONTGOMERY BELL ACADEMY WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 

The 2025 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition Champions, Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), traveled to Phoenix in May and captured their first national championship. Senior Kavneer Majhail was named an outstanding attorney. In attendance were 47 additional state champions who competed for the top prize.

The national championship round was held in the historic Maricopa County Old Courthouse, which is most well known for hosting the first trial of Ernesto Miranda, which ultimately led to Miranda v. Arizona and the present-day Miranda rights. The courtroom in which the competition was held was the one served by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. 

The MBA competing team members were William Guo, Russell Howard, George Ma, Kavneer Majhail, Nikhil Misra, Jasmaih Oberoi, Jack Rogers, Kenneth Royer and Sammy Thompson. They were supported by non-competing team members Henry Bone, Witt Combs and Alex Kaegi. These talented students are coached by the dedicated team of Wade Cowan, Tracy Hancock and Marisa Combs Smith.

Joint Resolution recognizing Montgomery Bell Academy as National Champions