Shakespeare Theatre Company to Host 37th Annual Mock Trial Centered on OTHELLO

Shakespeare Theatre Company will present the 37th annual Mock Trial on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 7:30pm at Harman Hall.

This beloved in-person event features an esteemed bench, often presided over by current or retired members of the U.S. Supreme Court, deliberating over a fictional case inspired by a play in STC's season. This year's case is centered on Simon Godwin's upcoming production of Othello, featuring Wendell Pierce, and the advocates will argue on the pivotal role of the handkerchief and Emilia's hand in procuring the item that led to so much tragedy.

Confirmed for this year's bench is Judge Amy Berman Jackson, United States District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, United States District Court for the District of Columbia; Senior Judge Paul L. Friedman, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Patricia Millett, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Chief Judge Matthew William Brann, United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Former Supreme Court Marshal Pamela Talkin will again perform the role of the Marshal of the court. Additional participants will be announced at a later date.

Advocates arguing the case will be Stephen Vladeck, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Federal Courts, Georgetown University Law Center, and Karen L. Dunn, Founding Partner of Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP.

Because legal issues run throughout Shakespeare's work, it is a marriage of true minds for the Bard Association, STC's legal affinity group, to stage its unique and highly popular Mock Trial in the nation's capital, a city with the highest concentration of lawyers in the country. Called “A Washington wonk's dream” by The New York Times, this lively event has attracted a multitude of prominent law professionals since its inception in 1994 by STC Bard Association Chair Abbe Lowell. Advocates argue the merits of their case before a packed audience of their peers, and don't be surprised if final arguments are in iambic pentameter!