Moot Court Fellows Program Offers Court Experience to Second and Third Year Students

January 11, 2008

Participating in moot court is one of the best ways to gain oral advocacy experience and receive expert training and feedback. It is also reserved for third-year full-time students and fourth-year part-time students. Because of this, the Moot Court Fellows program was developed to give students the opportunity to apprentice with a moot court team the year before they are eligible to be on a team.

Heather George, a third year student and chief justice of the Moot Court Board says, “The students who tried out were quality participants. This is the first year for the Moot Court Fellows program and we’ve had to build it from the ground up. I think this program will make our teams stronger next year.”

Moot Court Fellows are selected based on the ability to organize and explain arguments, give clear and logical answers to questions, maintain courtroom tone and demeanor and exhibit good writing skills. Students selected as a Moot Court Fellow participate in team practice sessions, serve as a bailiff and travel with their team to competitions. Additionally, one Fellow is selected to be a member of the Moot Court Executive Board.

Matt Woods-Koppitch is one of the first participants in the Moot Court Fellows program. He says, "Observing last semester's national teams develop their arguments allowed me to better understand how to craft my own appellate argument. I also learned many subtle 'tricks of the trade' while watching competition rounds that I might not have learned otherwise."

Only second-year full-time students and third-year part-time students in good academic standing are eligible to tryout to be a fellow for a moot court team. In addition, students are eligible if they have successfully completed Appellate Advocacy, are enrolled in the course, or have committed to take the course during the following semester if selected for the fellows program.

The Moot Court Fellows program replaced the First Year Moot Court program. The Moot Court Board hosts mock exhibitions with professors and law students and workshops to get first years students involved in and excited about participating in Moot Court.

The Moot Court Fellows program provides an educational benefit as well as experience with oral arguments and writing. Try-outs for next year’s Moot Court Fellows are scheduled for the spring 2008 semester.