Our
Team.
Our dedicated leadership and staff team is committed to developing growth, opportunity, confidence, and empowerment in the mock trial community nationwide. Our team includes some of the most renowned and decorated mock trial coaches and competitors in the nation - all of whom are devoted to seeing mock trial competitors at all levels thrive and succeed.
Leadership.
Riya Lakkaraju
Co-Founder and CEO
Riya Lakkaraju is a rising senior at Emory University. She began her mock trial career in high school, where she competed in the Ohio State Championships for three consecutive years. Riya currently competes for the Emory University Mock Trial Program, which is currently ranked as one of the top ten programs in the nation. Most recently, Riya led her team to a 4th place finish at the American Mock Trial Association National Championships. As an individual competitor, Riya was awarded four All-American Awards as both an attorney and witness, the highest individual honor in collegiate mock trial. Riya also competed at Trial By Combat 2021, as one of the 16 best collegiate advocates in the United States, and finished fifth in the nation. Riya currently serves as a member of the American Mock Trial Association's Student Advisory Board.
Bennett Demsky
Chief Operating Officer
Bennett Demsky is a rising senior at Tufts University. He began his mock trial career in high school at Maryland's Park School of Baltimore, where his team won the 2017 Maryland State Championship. Bennett is currently serving as Tufts Mock Trial's President for a second consecutive year. Most recently, Bennett captained Tufts A to a 2nd Place finish at the American Mock Association's National Championship Tournament and won an All-American attorney award, the most prestigious individual honor in collegiate mock trial. He also competed at Trial By Combat 2021, as one of the 16 best college advocates in the United States, where he finished as the runner-up.
Adam Selcov
Director of Development
Adam Selcov is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz and now works as the Development and Executive Assistant for the Constitutional Rights Foundation in Los Angeles, California. After participating in mock trial in eighth grade, he continued to compete throughout high school, college, and now coaches at both Washington College and UC Santa Cruz. As a member of the UC Santa Cruz team, Adam won numerous attorney and witness awards and served as President for two consecutive years.
Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina. He has been competing in mock trial for nearly a decade. During that time, he has won two South Carolina state championships, and has made appearances at the American Mock Trial Association National Championship. Ben has been serving as the President of the University of South Carolina Mock Trial Ben is currently serving as the President of the University of South Carolina Mock Trial program for the second year in a row. Ben has been awarded numerous accolades for his performance as both an attorney and a witness. During the 2021-2022 season, Ben was the most highly awarded collegiate competitor in the country, collecting 10 awards throughout the entire American Mock Trial Association season.