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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIU McKinney staffer Mary Morris buzzed in quickly and asked the right questions last month on the hit game show, “Jeopardy!”
Morris, director of externships and clinics manager at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, made her television debut on May 22, appearing on Season 42 of “Jeopardy!”
Morris, 34, is a self-proclaimed trivia guru and fan of the long-running show, which pits contestants against each other to try to win money as they are quizzed on a variety of topics.
Morris is a 2021 graduate of the IU Maurer School of Law. After spending some time in private practice in Indianapolis, she joined IU McKinney about three years ago, her work helping students get legal experience while in law school.
As a self-described nerdy and intellectually curious kid growing up, shows like “Jeopardy!” were right up Morris’s alley. But most people who watch the game show, which first aired in 1984, don’t actually pursue the competition — and for a long time, neither did Morris.
It was not until Morris discovered that IU Maurer Assistant Dean Anne McFadden had previously been a “Jeopardy!” contestant that she saw it as a possibility for herself.
“For some reason, it clicked to me that, like, oh yeah, actual, real people appear on this show,” Morris said.
So, she dove into the application process.
The first step to get on the “Jeopardy!” stage is taking the show’s “Anytime Test” — a 50-question exam that filters out ineligible contestants. According to IU McKinney, about 100,000 people take the “Anytime Test” each year.
From there, applicants move on to another multi-question test. If the applicants succeed again, they move on to the third and final audition: a virtual mock game.
Applicants who make it to the final round are placed in a contestant pool, where they can remain for up to two years as they wait for the show’s producers to invite them to the program. Only about 400 to 500 people are selected from the contestant pool each year.
Morris first applied for the show in 2021, around the time she was studying for the bar exam. Although she made it to the contestant pool, the show’s producers never called her.
“I’m really glad I didn’t get picked the first time,” Morris said, acknowledging the timing just wasn’t right for her to appear on the show then.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025. After a couple of years in her gig at IU McKinney, Morris decided to take the “Anytime Test” again, and once again advanced to the contestant pool.
Morris received a call in February notifying her that she had been selected to appear on the show. With about a month to prepare, Morris said the show’s producers didn’t provide her with specific study materials.
“Everything is fair game,” she said.
Morris watched past episodes, putting herself in those former contestants’ shoes. Going out to bar trivia nights with friends also acted as a great form of studying, she said.
Morris filmed in Culver City, California, on March 17. When she walked into Stage 10 at the Sony Pictures Studio lot, Morris said she was surprised at how big the studio and iconic trivia board were.
“It was a little overwhelming, but in the best way,” Morris said.
Morris said she started the day with a bit of anxiety, but she quickly shook it out after some practice games. She also knew that she was to face a multi-day champion.
“I kind of was like, I’m either going to stress myself out today, or I’m going to enjoy the day,” Morris said. “And I made the active choice to enjoy myself.”
Morris, a pop culture whiz, faced some tough categories, including boxing, which she said she knew nothing about.
At the end of the day, Morris finished the game with $401, having wagered much of her $1,800 during “Final Jeopardy.” Although she took home third place — falling to eight-day champion Chris D’Angelo — Morris said the experience was “absolutely surreal.”
After flying home, Morris had to keep hush about her time on the show, which made for an even greater surprise to her colleagues and the students she worked with. Her official “Jeopardy!” debut came in late May after a few months of anticipation.
“It’s just a lot of support and a lot of excitement, which is really gratifying,” Morris said.
Even though she says it is unlikely to happen, Morris said that if she got the call to be on “Jeopardy!” again, she would go.
“If this was my one and only shot, then I’m really happy with it,” she said.
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