On April 12, Northwestern Mock Trial traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete with the nation’s top programs. The team finished 10th in the competition –– its fourth consecutive year in the top 10. 

Weinberg senior and Mock Trial President Abigail Roman-Ahlgrim, who is in her fourth year on the team, said the competition was a highlight of her college career and a great way to close out her time on mock trial. 

“It was gratifying. It was super bittersweet,” Roman-Ahlgrim said. “It was just such a great opportunity to leave it all on the floor. Knowing that this was going to be the last time, that was the best I could have done after four years of practice. It just felt right.”

The team competes by simulating a fictional trial in the imaginary land of “Midland.” Each case is different –– this year, it centered around whether an airline company should be charged with negligence after a fictitious plane crash. 

This year, two team members won All-American awards honoring exemplary performances at the competition: Weinberg senior and Vice President Tahj Burnett and Medill junior and Social and Public Relations Chair Claire Foltz.

The team also won the Spirit of American Mock Trial Association award for being the nicest team. NU was nominated by other competing teams for the honor.

“That really was fun,” Weinberg senior and Mock Trial member Ben Swedberg said. “We go out of our way to be professional and kind, and it’s nice to have that recognized.”

Swedberg added that NU’s mock trial team is a unique group of people because the competition combines several disciplines. Some students interested in law act as attorneys, according to Swedberg, while aspiring actors are often attracted to the witness roles.

“What sets mock trial apart is that it’s a combination of public speaking and acting,” Swedberg said. “It brings two really interesting activities together … It’s collaborative work, and it combines a lot of different interests at NU.” 

For Burnett, the mock trial community has always been important to him, and he said it’s grown closer over the years. 

He said this year’s performance indicates the team has a bright future. 

“I’ve always had a family here, but now everybody on Mock Trial knows everybody,” Burnett said. “I’m really good friends with even the freshmen on the team, and I’m a senior … If you ask someone on Mock Trial if they know someone else, they’re gonna say, ‘Absolutely, that’s my best friend.’”

Overall, Swedberg said, the team is proud of its progress this year and its performance at nationals. 

“We were having our best moments this weekend, like every single round, we just kept performing better and better,” Swedberg said. “It was just a huge privilege to do the best mock trial I’ve ever seen Northwestern do. It was just, like, really sick.” 

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