Best Final Rounds of NCT

Looking for opinions of anyone and everyone who has watched more than 1 final round of NCT: what are some of the best/favorite/interesting final rounds that have ever happened? Doesn't even have to be the best, I'm looking for ones that are interesting for one reason or another (i.e. character witnessing, experts, objections, written content, interesting case theory, etc.). Trying to learn the differences in mock trial style and what differentiates the highest level of mock trial from good mock trial, so I wanna watch some examples.

One of the best has got to be 2016 UVA v Yale. Though watching it recently, it is clear Yale is up to the same tricks that would get then in trouble a few years later. The theatrics are top notch though, tape measure cross still the GOAT.

I agree with Sir Mocksalot - 2016 is the best final round out there. That Yale team is arguably the best team in the modern history of mock trial - Zhu, Cohen, and Stern are all incredible attorneys that compliment each other very well, and Patrick Doolittle is one of the best character witnesses of all time. From the tape measure cross to Skylar stepping out of her shoes everything from that team is fantastic.

The 2015 Harvard v. Yale round is also really good - both teams are excellent and Harvard's bench showcases how well-placed objections can break up compelling performances to great effect. Keep a special eye on Harvard's closer, Zach Fields, who is the best attorney in that round after Stern. (this round is also free on Youtube, so that's a plus)

2023 is also fantastic, but you've probably already seen that one since it was so recent.

I think there are things to learn from every final round, though. In the modern era, every team is doing something special to make sure they end up on that film, so you can learn from all of them.

I know it's controversial, but it's 2019 for me. 2015 is a close second tho. UCLA v. Harvard in 2023 was pretty solid.

Calimocker123 wrote:I know it's controversial, but it's 2019 for me. 2015 is a close second tho. UCLA v. Harvard in 2023 was pretty solid.

Is there video of the 2019 round?

Like others have said, 2016 is the best final out there in terms of pretty much any metric. I think that 2016 Yale team might be the best team ever assembled.

Besides that, I’ll give a shoutout to 2011 NYU v. UCLA. 2011 is still a bit into the older style of mock but it has some pretty unique gems. Brandon Hughes on UCLA is one of a kind in that round. I’ve never seen his style succeed on the highest level before or after that. If you’re bored with the content that you’ve been doing, check out his closing from that round.

Beyond the attorney talent, Iain Lampert and Amanda Mundell put on witnessing masterclasses for UCLA. As for NYU, Co’Relous Bryant’s performance in this round legitimately stakes a claim for the best emotional witness in history.

I'm not saying it's the best round (2016, 2015, 2019 is the trifecta imo), but I think 2017 is a really important round to watch. The 2017 UVA roster is pretty close the most talented roster out there, and I think it's a good counterpart to 2016 because it shows how sometimes the polished, professional team can beat the flashier one. SAB and Piacenti are both excellent, Adam Chase's character is a classic, and I think it's a great teaching tool for how to dismantle a flashy opponent—and for flashier programs, it reminds them of the risks inherent to the strategy.

Here’s my review of the past couple.

2015: A really good one. Yale’s team is super talented and energetic, and Harvard is incredibly polished and strong on objections. The judge here is honestly kind of great in hind sight. He’s definitely a tough customer, but he really hears objections through and is super engaged. The highlight is probably Eleanor Runde’s midwestern reporter witness or Dan Stern’s close.

2016: Yeah, everyone’s right—it’s probably the best. Yale is nearly perfect here, and while they certainly pull some shenanigans, they make the trial all the more fun. All of the defense witnesses, Stern’s cross, and Stern’s close are all some of the best mock trial out there. Shout out to UVA for a great round too. Kate Villany and Allie Piacenti are excellent the entire round, and their case is super clean.

2017: This is honestly my favorite. Besides 2016 Yale, this 2017 UVA team is probably the best I’ve seen. They have command of the trial the entire time, and Grandhi’s open is one of the all time greats. Yale brings a young, scrappy energy, and they have a super interesting theory that clearly throws off UVA at some points. Bays’s close is incredible, but the true highlight is Adam Chase and Haircuts Nearby.

2018: An interesting one for sure. It’s actually Yale B in the final round. They aren’t especially flashy—no crazy demos or theory moments. However, their character witness, Nadia Rahman, is my favorite of all time. Her demeanor while being crossed by a very domineering Dani Kunkel is perfect. This is probably the least entertaining round of the past 4 years, but Miami is super clean, and Kunkel’s close is perfect. It’s also fun watching Kunkel and Yale attorneys fight on objections.

2019: Well, if you can find this one, it’s a must watch. Yale’s theory is… fascinating. A milk mafia planting 2 fake parents in a store to force the defendant to make a post. Bays’s close and Adam Chase’s character are highlights. Rhodes has great attorneys. The cross of the milk CEO by Daniel Elliott is among the best crosses and impeachments ever. I don’t think it’s the strongest final round objectively, just based on performance, but if you can find it, it’s just captivating, especially in hindsight.

2021: This one is alright. Obviously, the highlight is Sydney Gaskins, but Yale definitely has a very fun theory. I think the case isn't great; plus it’s on Zoom, so it just isn’t the same. Yale has a pseudo-party rep comic book collector who is incredible. It’s a good round, obviously, just not my favorite. UMBC’s party rep is also excellent. Oh, by the way, there are 2 Russian exterminators.

2022: This round is decent as far as NCT Finals go. UChicago’s character is hilarious, and the 3 emotional witnesses all bring a lot of gravity to the case. The attorneys are really the highlight, especially Ethan Hsi. I don’t really like this case, which might cloud my perception.

2023: By far the best final round since 2017, in my opinion. The passion, the energy, the fire from both sides is remarkable. It’s an incredible watch—Ria Debnath’s cross is life-changing, as is Audrey Vanderslice’s close.

2024: I think we all know about this one. UVA is insanely polished. The scripts are perfect. Karen Sun’s open and Anna Dubnoff’s cross are amazing. Hillsdale, especially Njomeza Pema, are very polished as well. I think Hillsdale was at a disadvantage simply because of how the case was written. I’ve competed against Hillsdale, and they have top notch objections. The fact that AMTA wrote in objections being waived all over the place took so much steam out of D. UVA’s case is sort of sterile, but given how complicated the P fact pattern is, it almost has to be.

2014 -- Be simple, Be funny The last year-long case at nationals. I think there's a lot you can learn from this about mock moneyball. No real experts, no cops, no defendants. 5/6 accents. But then the attorneys, including UCLA's, are surprisingly sedate and very polished. Looking at it, you'd be surprised to learn how much was actually off-script. Princeton does an incredible job making their case super understandable throughout their case in chief. UCLA's highlight moments are their statements, which do a great job of learning to argue without arguing in opening, and then making great arguments (as opposed to summarizing stuff) in closing.

2015 -- Don't let them get in their zone Welcome to the modern era, with titan attorneys. As everyone else is saying, Harvard's objections won them this round. Seeing how their P handled Yale's D as opposed to how UVA P would try to handle them the next year is a great time. UVA seemed like they just tried to strongarm stuff out, but with Harvard it never felt like they were particularly worried about Yale's theory: they were just confident that they were right.

2016 -- They let me get in my zone Yeah, it's the best. Stern is much better here. Patrick Doolittle still has the best direct in AMTA and their other character also knocks it out of the park. On the other side, Deniz Tuncelli is so great that UVA is still telling his jokes 8 years later. Yale is so much fun to watch, that a lot of times I'll be tempted to just skip through UVA's stuff to get to them tbh, which is a shame cause UVA is great.

2017 -- Might have gone too far in a few places The crosses from UVA stand out as some of the best, and absolutely won them the round in my opinion. All of Yale's witnesses dropped fortuitously on cross. Everything else is shockingly well-balanced, maybe even in Yale's favor for closings. Adam Chase's direct is incredible. You can tell this team learned from 2016 Yale, but it feels like they're not there yet. Idk, they just can't gaslight me to ignore everything in the actual case packet as well (yet).

2018 -- Choose your moments Looks like some people really didn't like the St. Paul judges, but they're nothing if not consistent based on nats results from 2018 and 2024. Super clean, clear attorneys, and witnesses with one clear bit, that they know to let go of quickly if needed. Honestly not as much stands out to me from this that I can recall, other than that fun little glass demo.

2019 -- Pleaseee If someone has this, this website allows for private messages, please let me know how to watch it pretty pretty please. I can swap you some other great non-public rounds, anything!! I just heard the little bits from Ben and Drew, and everyone sounds go good! I don't even care about the drama or whatever it's been 6 years idk these people, 2019 memorandum is out of date by now, I just really want to see what this trial looks like cause it sounds so sexy. Also those sanctions in hindsight look absolutely redonkulous. Very unfortunate for 2019 Yale, and Rhodes tbh, that there was no clear recourse here at the time. You're both national champions in my heart. [Update: thank you kind strangers who reached out, you're the best, legit made my day.]

2020 -- rip c/o 2020, you would've given a great nats

2021 -- Good arguments and honest portrayals Honestly, zoom mock trial is just not as engaging as in person mock, I'm so sorry. Sydney Gaskins and Sean Rogers (Yale nerd witness) are the highlights. I haven't seen this one in a while really and don't have access anymore, but they definitely squeezed a lot out of zoom on both sides. And I'm so glad that the craze of Eastern European witnesses has ended. Like some are fine, but it used to feel like way too much. You can do so much more.

2022 -- haven't seen. I'm a little less desperate for this one than 2019, but still. It's on my list. We need a letterboxd for mock rounds. Or maybe I can just put mock rounds on letterboxd tbh, what's stopping me? Food for thought.

2023 -- It's not fair that only one team can win Ohh baby. My most rewatched, even though it's new. Those openings. Exemplary sympathetic plaintiff portrayal, then a cxer somehow winning a cx of said amazing witness. Bizarrely believable defendant dx that holds up under a tough cx. And that d expert cx with 9 combined all americans stuck in that triangle... oh man, that's just as close to perfect as you get on all ends. Maybe not the sexiest on the facts, but the marriage of logic with emotion is great from both sides.

2024 -- Structure makes the substanceUVA wins the midwest as prosecutors. It's definitely harder to find what's so outstanding from all the other great teams in AMTA just by watching this one. You've gotta consider the context of the complicated, non-intuitive case with a lot of stipulations and a lot of missing evidence with no good alternative explanations. Then you see how deftly constructed the UVA P case is to get what they need without getting lost. Standout is UVA's Robinson owning his own cx, not dropping a beat from dx. Statements aren't too bad. The most dominant final round may teach you lessons about the importance of likability and evidence from D.

Overall, here's my super subjective ranking based on a combination of how much you can learn from them and how much fun they are to watch for me personally. I'm not including some of the older ones I've watched, cause they're kinda very different and I haven't seen many from pre-modern era:
1. 2023
2. 2016
3. 2015
4. 2017
5. 2014
6. 2021
7. 2018
8. 2024