Maryland Mock Trial's unrivaled 1992 teams that went head to head in the national championship round.
Five-time National Champions
The University of Maryland Mock Trial Program has won more American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) national championships than any other school in the country. The program was founded by Dr. Noel Myricks in the fall of 1989. Under the direction of Dr. Myricks, Maryland Mock Trial quickly established as a national powerhouse and won the first of the program's five national championships in 1992 when both of the school’s teams advanced to the national championship round (pictured above). As a result, AMTA instituted the “Maryland Rule,” which placed teams from the same school in the same division at the National Championship Tournament to ensure two separate schools were represented in the championship round. Even though the “Maryland Rule” was later repealed, Maryland remains the only school to ever advance two teams to the final round of the National Championship Tournament.
After winning the national championship in 2000, Maryland Mock Trial team members and coaches were honored by the Maryland House of Delegates and Governor Paris Glendening.
Maryland followed up the dominant 1991-1992 season by reaching the national championship round again in 1993, narrowly losing to Drake University. In 1996, Maryland claimed their second national championship beating St. Louis University in the final round. Two years later in 1998, the Richard M. Calkins Trophy came back to College Park for a third time when Maryland defeated Bellarmine College in the final round. In 2000, Maryland captured the title again prevailing against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the national championship round.
Maryland’s most recent championship came in 2008 when they defeated George Washington University in the championship round and brought the Calkins Trophy home to College Park for a record 5th time.
Past Program Directors
Dr. Noel Myricks, J.D., Ed.D.
Program Founder & Director from 1989-1990 through 2003-2004
Dr. Noel Myricks founded the University of Maryland Mock Trial Program in the fall of 1989. In his 15 years directing the program, he coached teams to four national championships, two national runner-up finishes, and eleven eastern regional championships. Dr. Myricks was a two-time recipient of the American Mock Trial Association W. Ward Reynoldson Award and was inducted into the American Mock Trial Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006.
Dr. Myricks was a professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health for more than 25 years and taught in the Department of Family Science. In 1978, Dr. Myricks was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Advisory Council on Extension and Continuing Education, where he served until 1981. During his time at Maryland, he was the recipient of Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award for exceptional contributions to the quality of undergraduate education at the university and also awarded the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring, which is the highest honor presented by the Board of Regents within the University System of Maryland.
Dr. Myricks received his Juris Doctor from Howard University in 1970, and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology and Higher Education from The American University in 1974.
Mark A. Graber, J.D., Ph.D.
Program Director from 2004-2005 through 2016-2017
Professor Mark Graber became the second director of the Maryland Mock Trial Program in the fall of 2004 and directed the program for more than 10 years. During Professor Graber’s tenure with Maryland Mock Trial, the program won its fifth national championship in 2008. Professor Graber was awarded the W. Ward Reynoldson Award from the American Mock Trial Association in 2008. In 2017, Professor Graber won the American Mock Trial Association’s Neal Smith Award, presented annually to one individual in recognition of their for making outstanding and exemplary contributions to law related education and AMTA’s mission to promote public understanding of law and the legal process.
Professor Graber taught for in the University of Maryland’s Department of Government & Politics from 1993-2007. He began teaching at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2002 was and moved his primary appointment to the law school in 2007. In 2004, he was appointed Professor of Government and Law at the School of Law, a title he held until when he was appointed the Jacob A. France Professor of Constitutionalism. In 2016, he was named Regents Professor, one of only seven Regents Professors in the history of the University System of Maryland. He currently directs the Maryland Carey School of Law’s National Trial Team.
Professor Graber earned earned a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1981, where he was a Stone Scholar, a MA in philosophy in 1986 and a PhD in political science from Yale Graduate School, and a BA, summa cum laude, in philosophy, at Dartmouth College in 1978.
Amir M. Sadeghy, Esq.
Program Director from 2007-2008 through 2008-2010
Mr. Amir Sadeghy was the program director of Maryland Mock Trial from 2007-2008 through 2009-2010. Under Mr. Sadeghy’s direction, the program won its fifth national championship in 2008. Mr. Sadeghy was awarded the AMTA W. Ward Reynoldson Award for coaching excellence from the in fall of 2008. Mr. Sadeghy competed for Maryland Mock Trial an as undergraduate student from 1998-1999 through 2000-2001 when the program won its fourth national championship.
Mr. Sadeghy is currently the Litigation Director for the District of Columbia Government’s Office of the Tenant Advocate. Mr. Sadeghy was previously an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, teaching law and trial advocacy courses for the Department of Government & Politics. Preceding that, he worked as a trial attorney for law firms in Maryland and the District of Columbia from 2004 to 2007.
Mr. Sadeghy obtained his Juris Doctor from the Washington & Lee University School of Law and his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Coaching Award Winners
W. Ward Reynoldson Award Winners
The W. Ward Reynoldson award is presented by AMTA annually to coaches whose teams demonstrate excellence at the National Championship Tournament. Eleven Maryland Mock Trial coaches have won the award.
1992 Dr. Noel Myricks
1993 Tim Cole and Bill Thrush
1996 Mary Pat Wilt and George Failla, Jr.
1998 Scott Hinshaw, Cathy Henger, and George Failla, Jr.
2000 Dr. Noel Myricks, George Failla, Jr., Tim Cole, and Lilian Brown
2008 Amir Sadeghy, Aisha Henry, George Failla, Jr., and Mark Graber
Neil Smith Award Winners
The Neal Smith Award is presented annually by AMTA to one individual in recognition of their “contributions to AMTA’s educational mission.” The winners of the Neal Smith Award are recognized for making outstanding and exemplary contributions to law related education and its mission to promote public understanding of law and the legal process.
2017 Mark Graber