How Do You Join Moot Court?
There are several ways to become a part of the UW Law School's Moot Court Board. (In addition, each year several student organizations provide moot court opportunities outside of the official moot court program and information about these appear in the student newsletter. Students interested in a similar program that focuses on the trial court experience, should check out the Mock Trial Program.) Here's information about joining the UW Law School Moot Court Board:
Admission as a 1L
First-year students are selected for the Moot Court Board at the end of the spring semester. In mid-February or early March, students who are interested in trying out for moot court receive a packet containing a simple problem, all necessary cases and statutes (no outside research is required), and a sample appellate brief. To compete, a student must submit an appellate brief and present a short oral argument before a panel of judges. Those who wish may attend brief-writing and oral advocacy workshops and practice their oral arguments in front of current Moot Court Board members.
Usually about 35 1L's are invited to join the Moot Court Board.
Admission as a 2L
Although most students who participate in moot court are selected in the spring of their first year, a limited number of spots on the Moot Court Board are available to second- and third-year students.
- Omar Megahed Competition. Each fall, second-year students can compete in an intramural appellate advocacy competition in which competitors prepare arguments from a pre-written brief. This is not a course and there is no academic credit. Depending on the number of competitors, between two and four finalists are invited to join the Moot Court Board.
- Heffernan Appellate Advocacy Course. Second- year students may enroll in a one-semester spring seminar devoted to appellate advocacy. This seminar is named in honor of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Nathan Heffernan. Students write a brief and compete in a mock appellate advocacy competition. The finalists are invited to join the Moot Court Board for competition.
- Become a Finalist in a Student Organization's Moot Court Competition. Some student organizations sponsor their own moot court teams for specific competitions. A student who:
- participates in a moot court competition,
- receives academic credit( usually through a directed reading/directed research), and
- is a finalist in the competition