Andrew Tirrell is an American lawyer, professor, and a former champion on the televised game show Jeopardy!.
.png){kind=link}
Career in Law and International Development[]
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University in 2002 in Classics and History, Tirrell received his JD from Columbia Law School. He then practiced litigation with the law firm Arent Fox Schiff, before joining the civil rights organization Advocates for Children (NYC) as a staff attorney, practicing human rights law in Central America, and serving as a consultant to the international development organization Plan International in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, and Thailand.
Career in Academia[]
Tirrell is currently an Associate Professor of Political Science & International Relations and of Law at the University of San Diego, where he also directs the graduate program in International Relations. He previously taught at Boston College, Tufts University, and Harvard University. Tirrell studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he received a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a PhD in International Relations. His research, publications, and teaching focus on environmental governance, human rights, and natural resource management. Tirrell is also a research fellow at both the Global Development and Environment Institute and the Brown University Climate Social Science Network.
Jeopardy! Appearances[]
He served as the alternate for the 2024 Tournament of Champions in February and March of that year. During the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, it was noted that he was the only contestant to correctly answer any Final Jeopardy clues across all of his six appearances on the show.
| Game no | Air Date | Final Score | Cumulative Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 6, 2022 | $15,399 | $15,399 | Andy's first win and he ends Cris Pannullo's 21-day win streak. |
| 2 | December 7, 2022 | $1,199 | $17,399 | Ron Cheung ends his streak. |
Champions Wildcard[]
In the first quarterfinal game, he faced 1-day champion Katie Palumbo and 2-day champion Sharon Stone. He gave 21 correct responses (including one DD) and one wrong response. He entered FJ with a lock game and was the only player correct. He advanced to the semifinals.
In the first semifinal game, he faced 2-day champion Lloyd Sy and 1-day champion Martha Bath. He gave 24 correct responses (including one DD) and three wrong responses. He was the only player correct in Final Jeopardy and advanced to the finals.
In the finals, he faced Second Chance winner Juveria Zaheer and 2-day champion Michael Menkhus. In game one, he gave eleven correct responses and one wrong response. He was the only player correct in Final and doubled. In game two, he gave fourteen correct responses (including one DD) and five wrong responses. Nobody got Final correct. Juveria's $20,000 from day one meant that she headed to the Tournament of Champions. He won $50,000 for first runner-up.
Personal Life[]
During his first-day Jeopardy! contestant chat, Tirrell discussed the fisheries research he conducted in Arctic Norway, while his second-day contestant chat revealed his plans to use part of his winnings to start backyard beekeeping with his son, Theo.