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Back-to-Back State Championships at Florida Junior High Mock Trial

Back-to-Back State Championships at Florida Junior High Mock Trial

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The Junior High Mock Trial team from American Heritage Schools, Palm Beach Campus, successfully defended its state title, capturing the 2026 Florida Junior High Mock Trial State Championship at the Hillsborough County Courthouse in Tampa. This victory marks the second consecutive state title for the premier law studies program, establishing a record of consistent excellence in a year that saw the state competition expand significantly.

The Florida Junior High Mock Trial competition experienced substantial growth this year, with 112 middle schools from across the state submitting video arguments in the preliminary rounds, a significant increase from the 80 teams that entered the field last year. Following a rigorous evaluation of the recorded trials, only the top eight programs in Florida received invitations to present their arguments live before presiding judges at the state finals in Tampa.

Under the direction of Legal Studies Program Director Ani Porter and team coaches Rinku Tribuiani and Patrick Knight, the American Heritage cohort advanced through multiple rounds of intense litigation. The team had been preparing for the case since November, dedicating multiple days a week to mastering courtroom procedures, statutory analysis, and presentation strategy.

In addition to securing the state championship trophy, American Heritage students swept the individual categories, claiming half of all top attorney recognitions distributed at the state level. Out of 42 student attorneys competing from across Florida, tournament directors selected only six to receive Top Attorney honors. American Heritage students secured three of those six awards.

The complete list of state championship team members and individual award recipients:

Top Attorney Award Winners

  • Alana Schwartz
  • Lucas Knight
  • Shane Johnson

Top Witness Award Winner

  • Larissa Karpeles (one of only three participants selected statewide)

2026 State Championship Team Roster

  • Yasmin Davie
  • Shane Johnson
  • Larissa Karpeles
  • Sarah Khalil
  • Lucas Knight
  • Sylvia Nicholson
  • Kiera Obser
  • Daniel Ortiz-Quinones
  • Arav Patel
  • Vera Pavlou
  • Alana Schwartz
  • Sabrina Shikara

Demonstrating the program's emphasis on courtroom decorum and ethical litigation, the presiding judges and tournament directors also awarded American Heritage the 2026 Legal Professionalism Award. Throughout the competitive season, the coaching staff focused heavily on lessons in ethics, collaboration, and mutual respect with opposing counsel. This specialty honor reflects the core values of the Pre-Law program, emphasizing a standard of professional conduct that extends beyond academic victory.