The 2027 Costello Competition will be held on February 19-21st at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia.

Registration for the Sixteenth Annual John L. Costello National Criminal Law Trial Advocacy Competition is now open! Please look to our registration information page to register today! Registration will close November 30th, 2026.

An Exciting Update

Competing schools will be permitted to send at least one team to the Costello Competition. Competitors are side-restricted and teams must consist of only two competitors. Competing schools must also provide one witness per team.

There will now be an award for Best Witness to reward all of the hard work witnesses do in preparation for the competition.

Scalia Law Trial Ad will provide all judges and remaining witnesses for the competition. If, for whatever reason, all available slots do not fill up, then schools will be able to register additional teams on a lottery-based system. 

We do want to note that next year the format may change to a 4-person team, so please be on the look out next year for potential changes!

General Information about the Costello Competition

The Costello Competition was uniquely designed by Judge Jonathan Thacher to take participants outside the typical realms of law school competitions. By revealing unknown facts and witnesses as the competition progresses, the Costello Competition simulates the evolving and unexpected nature of real-life criminal trials. This dynamic design provides competitors with a realistic experience as counsel in a criminal trial and an exciting take on trial advocacy. All competition judges are local judges and practitioners, making the competition as realistic as possible. Competitors will use the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Competing schools will be permitted to send at least one team to the Costello Competition. Competitors are side-restricted and teams must consist of only two competitors. Competing schools must also provide one witness per team. Scalia Law Trial Ad will provide all judges and remaining witnesses for the competition. If, for whatever reason, all available slots do not fill up, then schools will be able to register additional teams on a first-come first-serve basis. 

For any additional questions or information, please contact [email protected].