Introduction

Every spring, The George Washington University Law School’s Mock Trial Board hosts the Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition (ETAC) in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico! This year marks the tournament’s 9th year. This year’s comeptition will take place April 15-16, 2023.  At the close of the recepetion, awards are given to the winning team and the best oral advocate. 

The ETAC Tournament is graciously sponsored by the law firm of Estrella, LLC. Estralla, LLC is a civil litigation law firm with a strong Retail and Consumer Affairs Practice. As such, the fact pattern of the ETAC case usually focuses on issues that large retail stores may face. In 2014, competitors argued a negligence case following an incident of alleged sexual harassment that occurred during a business trip. In 2015, competitors wrestled with a case involving an injury that occurred at a store’s promotional sumo event. In 2016, the case dealt with an alleged incident of a prescription error by a store’s pharmacy department that may have resulted in the death of a teenage boy.

The Estrella Trial Advocacy Competition is open to fourteen teams. Every year the Mock Trial Board invites a diverse range of participating law schools from all over the country. Participating teams have the opportunity to argue before local attorneys and judges, and receive significant feedback from the judges after each round.