PHC hosts the LARGEST moot court competition in America

Patrick Henry College hosted its annual Moot Court Sentinel Classic In-House Tournament, a required part of PHC's robust Core Curriculum. The strongest competitors earn a spot in PHC's top moot court program. This is the largest Moot Court competition in America, with 52 teams competing. 

Fall 2025 results

Two freshmen, Brayden Braun and Kayla Jennings, took 1^st place in the competition. Freshmen Isobel Horowitz and Timothy Strand took 2^nd place. Evan Fairfax was the recipient of the Top Orator Award.

"Competing in PHC's Sentinel Classic was such a fun experience. I only got two years of high school forensics and thoroughly enjoyed getting back into it," Kayla said. "In forensics, it can be easy to fixate on the competition, but I also enjoyed the collaborations, partnerships, spiritual, and personal growth that came from the weeks leading up to the PHC intramural."  

Her teammate and fellow champion, Brayden, shared her sentiments: "Out of all my classes and extracurriculars this fall, Moot Court has been the most thought-provoking and engaging by far. Scrimmaging with other teams, prepping for the intramural with Kayla, and learning from upperclassmen brings a whole new level of nuance to learning the subject material. It has quickly become my favorite pastime. "

What is the Moot Court Sentinel Classic In-House Tournament?

The Moot Court In-House Sentinel Classic is a required activity at Patrick Henry College. It is a part of PHC's Constitutional Law course—a core class which all students take. It allows the students to apply the legal concepts they are learning.

Additionally, the tournament provides a competitive entry point for students to join PHC's moot court varsity team.

100 students participate in PHC’s in-house moot court tournament each year, making it the largest moot court competition in the country. 

Why Moot Court?

Moot Court provides an outstanding opportunity for students to experience the practice of Constitutional Law firsthand.

In Moot Court, students take part in simulated court cases that focus on appeals, like those heard by the Supreme Court. Working in pairs, they research important constitutional issues and build strong legal arguments. They present these arguments both in writing and through live oral arguments. During these sessions, judges ask challenging questions to test how well the students understand the law and how clearly and convincingly they can make their case.

Moot Court requires rigorous legal analysis, which prepares students well for law school and the workforce.

Patrick Henry College's #1 forensics program

Forensics is training in the art of advocacy and hones a student’s skills in research, critical thinking, and communication.

At Patrick Henry College, we focus on three main styles of presentation: civic debate (argumentation concerning current events and issues impacting society), moot court (appellate legal advocacy as before the Supreme Court), and mock trial (trial advocacy, with students portraying witnesses and attorneys in a trial setting).

By participating in forensics at PHC, students learn how to think critically, research effectively, and communicate persuasively—skills which will enable them to be effective ambassadors for Christ as they engage our culture with compassion and integrity.

Over the years, PHC's powerhouse forensics program has earned many achievements, including 14 National Moot Court Championships, top rankings in Mock Trial tournaments, and 1^st place in an international debate tournament.

Upcoming forensics tournaments:

October 31–November 1: PHC is hosting an American Moot Court Association (AMCA) Regional Moot Court tournament, involving 24 teams from colleges on the East Coast.
November 1–2: PHC's “Cobalt” Mock Trial team is competing at the Tobacco Road Invitational (hosted by Duke/UNC) in Durham, NC.
November 15: In-House Sentinel Showdown Mock Trial competition between PHC's Red and Green teams.
December  6–7: PHC's “Amber” Mock Trial team competes at the Great American Mock Trial Invitational (GAMTI) in Washington, DC.

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 Patrick Henry College exists to glorify God by challenging the status quo in higher education, lifting high both faith and reason within a rigorous academic environment; thereby preserving for posterity the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is the foundation of America.