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NPRMCC on TwitterMoot Court FAQ
Honorable Robert H. Staton Moot Court Competition Frequently Asked Questions for 2010-2011 Competitors
What is the deadline for deciding whether I will participate in the 2010-2011 competition?
In order to participate in Staton Moot Court Competition, competitors must register for the class before the first in-class session. The first class for Moot Court is August 24, 2010, at 8:15 P.M.
What is the time commitment for the Moot Court competition?
Like every activity in law school, Moot Court is a time commitment. Students have one month to write and submit an appellate brief. The next four weeks students must argue their issue one night a week. Typically, arguments start at 7:45 P.M. and last until 9:15 P.M. If a student makes it to the Order of the Barristers, s/he argues each night until eliminated, or until advancing to the final round. The final argument occurs in the Indiana Supreme Court. In the fall semester, students should structure their classes to reflect these time commitments.
How is the brief organized for Moot Court?
At the beginning of the fall semester, each competitor will receive the competition problem, which will contain two distinct legal issues. Each competitor will be assigned to write a brief arguing for either the petitioner or respondent for one of the issues. After the brief-writing period of the competition, the competitors will submit their briefs for scoring. Members of the faculty, practitioners, and judges from the Indianapolis legal community will score the briefs.
How are the oral arguments organized?
After the competitors submit their briefs, the oral advocacy portion of the competition will begin. Each competitor will pair up with a student who wrote a brief for the other issue in the case. Competitors may choose a specific partner or ask the Moot Court Board to assign them a partner.
During the oral advocacy portion of the competition, each two-student team will deliver four oral arguments. During each round of argument, each competitor will only argue for the issue that he or she briefed. For round one and three of the arguments, each team will argue for whichever side (petitioner or respondent) that their brief was written. However, for round two and four, each team will argue for the opposing side.
Panels of two to four judges drawn from the law school faculty, the Moot Court Society's Order of Barristers, and the Indianapolis legal community will preside over the oral arguments. The judges will score each competitor individually. Judges will focus as heavily on the competitors' forensic ability as on the substance of the arguments.
Oral arguments will be held Monday through Thursday evenings at Inlow Hall and in the Indiana Court of Appeals at the Indiana Statehouse. Before the oral arguments begin, each team will be given the opportunity to tell the Moot Court Board which day of the week they prefer to argue. Although there is no guarantee, the Board generally assigns teams to either their first or second scheduling preference.
What is the Barrister Tournament?
Those competitors with composite scores in the top twenty-five percent of all competitors are named to the Order of Barristers and advance to a one-week tournament, which is called the Barrister Tournament. At that point, the competitors are assigned new partners, unless both partners on a team advance and both partners wish to continue as a team. Some students may be required to switch issues during the Barrister Tournament.
Scoring during the Barrister Tournament is on a team basis. The Tournament is a single-elimination tournament (winning teams advance; losing teams are done). By the end of the Tournament, the field is narrowed to two teams who argue in the Tournament final. The final round is held in the Indiana Supreme Court before a panel of trial and appellate court judges.
What is the Order of the Barristers?
Students who are named to the Order of the Barristers and participate in the Barrister Tournament receive one credit of "A." All other competitors who complete the competition requirements become members of the Moot Court Society and receive one credit of "Satisfactory."
All Barristers are automatically eligible to represent the school in prestigious national and international moot court competitions. After representing the school in one of those competitions, Barristers may serve as a coach for a team competing in these competitions. Additionally, all Barristers, regardless of national team participation, are eligible to serve on the Moot Court Board. All of these activities entitle Barristers to additional credits of "A." Finally, the Barristers are expected to judge oral arguments during future Intramural Competitions.
Can I realistically participate in both Moot Court and Law Review?
Yes. Despite this time commitment, it is possible for students to do both law review and moot court successfully. Students in the past have been tremendously successful at doing both activities.
Are there any scholarships available for winning Moot Court?
Certain competitors in the Staton Intramural Competition who achieve excellence will receive a cash prize. More specifically, the top advocate in the initial four rounds of the competition will receive the Mitzi H. Martin Moot Court Award. The competitor who writes the top brief will receive the Elijah Lovejoy Award. Finally, the top advocate in the Barrister Tournament final will receive the Christopher M. Maine Advocacy Award.
What can I do if I still have questions about Moot Court before I decide whether to participate?
Please take the time to bring these questions up to the members of the Moot Court Executive Board, or e-mail iumootcourt@gmail.com. The Board is happy to answer any question you have about the competition.
