For the second year in a row, the Redbirds earned a bid to the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) of the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). ISU Team 1069 plus five other teams advanced from the St. Louis regional to the next level of competition—ORCS. The other advancing teams were Loyola University (2 teams), Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University, and the University of Iowa. The St. Louis regional was hosted by Washington University.   Illinois State’s 1069 Team won six ballots and lost two. The team’s competitors included Cornell College, Western Kentucky University, and DePaul University. ISU 1070 Team faced two Loyola teams, Washington University, and University of Iowa.  The 1070 team had the most difficult pairing of the 25-team regional, facing three of the top five teams. ISU 1070 garnered a 2-6 record. Senior Kyleigh Weir was named outstanding attorney for her performance. She was ranked top attorney by three judges and second place by a fourth judge. Illinois State University will compete at the ORCS in Geneva, Illinois on March 7-9. Twenty-three other teams will participate, including Northwestern University, the University of Notre Dame, and Ohio State University.  The members of Team 1069 are Leah Carcasson, Ava Knapp, Nick Kniebusch, Jackie Mykytiuk, Sara O’Dowd, Emmalie Parson, and Kyleigh Weir.  Team 1070 is composed of Grace Betts, Denise Flores, Jake Podvrsan, Jamani Reed, Audrey Salamon, and Katie Schafer. The mock trial team is led by head attorney coach A.J. Blodgett, a Bloomington attorney in private practice, and assistant coach Spencer Chikahisa, a McLean County Assistant State’s Attorney. Professor Tom McClure is the educator coach.