Pitt is one of 64 of the best teams in the nation in a tournament full of teams such as… Pitt is one of 64 of the best teams in the nation in a tournament full of teams such as UCLA, Harvard, Yale and Stanford.

No, this isn’t basketball and the NCAA Tournament. This is a mock trial team. And in the face of annual powerhouses like Harvard and the University of Virginia, Pitt’s team isn’t the least bit intimidated.

The team is headed to the National Championship, comprised of 64 teams, in St. Petersburg, Fla., from April 13 to 15.

“It has been a lot of work,” member Peter Caravello said. “I don’t think there is a team that can beat us. We have a really great shot at winning it all.”

Pitt prevailed over 700 teams in the regional-qualifying round and then proceeded to beat teams such as Yale and Stanford in the national tournament to secure their position in the National Championship. They won second place in their four-team division, losing to Cornell by only one point. The other two teams in their division were Yale and Stanford.

Although the team has qualified for the national tournament five years in a row, it has never once made it to the National Championship. The Championship will feature “a lot of elite schools” like UCLA, the University of Michigan and George Washington University, according to Ethan Kate, president of the team.

“We all know that it is going to be extremely difficult in the Championship,” Kate, who has been involved in mock trial for four years, said. “But we have a very legitimate chance to win this thing. We are going to do very well, and we will definitely contend for the title.”

Some members of Mock Trial are hoping that the Championship will provide the team with more exposure here at home.

“We are very deserving to win this whole thing. Academic groups at Pitt don’t get the credit they deserve,” Caravello said. “But really, if we win, it will be good for the entire University community.”

Mock trial competitions are made up of a given team presenting a court case complete with lawyers and witnesses. According to Kate, Pitt’s team has been arguing a case concerning police brutality all year, and they have it down pat.

There are two judges for each case, and each team gets points awarded for their attorneys and witnesses. According to Kate, the judges look for different characteristics when awarding points.

“The attorneys need to have a presentation based on knowledge of the law, while witnesses need to have more character and need to be more theatrical,” he said.

The mock trial team has been working hard all year. Their tryouts were all the way back on Labor Day, and they’ve been working toward the Championship since then. The team meets anywhere from two to four times a week, although recently they’ve been meeting every night of the week to practice.

“Everyone on this team is extremely dedicated,” Kate said. “It takes dedication, but it is paying off.”

“The atmosphere of our group is absolutely something everyone can benefit from,” Caravello said.