What is the Moot Court Board?
Moot Court Board is a co-curricular organization designed to recognize and reward students for their oral and written appellate advocacy skills, as well as strengthen and further refine those skills. Board members compete in and manage two in-house appellate moot court competitions; participate in various intercollegiate, national, and international moot court competitions; and conduct monthly meetings. Students who successfully complete all the requirements for Moot Court Board membership will earn academic credit.
How can I get involved?
Students may tryout for Moot Court Board at the end of the first-year by participating in the 1L tryouts. Students who are not selected at the end of their first year may tryout during their second year by competing in the Baker Cup competition.
What competitions are available?
Intermural Travel Competitions (LAW 787): One pass/fail credit will be awarded to any second-year or third-year student who competes in a one-semester intermural moot court competition, so long as the student’s brief and oral argument would have earned a grade of C or better had the course been letter graded. To be eligible for an intermural team, the student must successfully complete (or concurrently be enrolled in) Appellate Advocacy and be willing to travel during the academic semester.
National Team: Two pass/fail credits will be awarded to any third-year student who competes on the National Moot Court team, so long as the student’s brief and oral argument would have earned a grade of C or better had the course been letter graded. Participation on the National Team is by invitation only, based on the student’s performance in the Baker Cup competition. To be eligible for consideration for the National Team, the student must successfully complete both Appellate Advocacy and the Baker Cup during their second-year.
Competition for students who are interested in oral advocacy, but are not Moot Court Board members.
George C. Baker Cup: One pass/fail credit will be awarded to any second-year student who competes in the spring semester intramural Baker Cup, so long as the student’s brief and oral argument would have earned a grade of C or better had the course been letter graded. To be eligible to compete in the Baker Cup, the student must successfully complete (or concurrently be enrolled in) Appellate Advocacy.
Jessup International Moot Court (LAW 652) is a co-curricular class in which students prepare for and compete in the Jessup International Moot Court Competition. Participation in Jessup is open to 2Ls and 3Ls. Preparing for and participating in the competition begins early in the fall semester and continues until mid-spring. Students participating in Jessup sign up for a one-credit, graded class in the fall and spring semester of that year. Jessup students must have successfully completed or be currently enrolled in International Law.
Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association (LAW 786) is a co-curricular course designed to assist students in developing litigation skills through a mock trial program. Teams of students compete in a minimum of four mock trials per year, as well as participate in various other trial competitions. Each trial is presided over by a practicing attorney or judge, and following the trial, each advocate is critiqued by the judge. Membership is available to 2Ls and 3Ls.
