MOOT COURT EVENT DESCRIPTION
Moot Court is a team event where two students, registered together as one team, argue a legal case against another team in front of a panel of judges, simulating a supreme court appellate hearing.
Before the competition, a case is announced. All hearings at the competition will be based on that case.
Upon registration, each team is assigned to represent either the Petitioner or the Respondent in the case.
To prepare, each team will analyze the case, conduct research on relevant case law, craft arguments for their side, and, optionally, prepare a written brief that details their arguments.
Teams who wish to participate in the written brief portion of the competition must submit their briefs no later than the Monday prior to the competition. Briefs may be emailed to marystoddard76@gmail.com.
On the day of the competition, each team will participate in one hearing. The actual structure of the hearing is as follows:
- Petitioners give up to 20 mins oral arguments presenting their case (Petitioners can choose to reserve up to 3 mins of their time for rebuttal),
- Respondents give up to 20 mins oral arguments presenting their case,
- If Petitioners reserved any time, they spend that time on rebuttal,
- Judges deliberate and deliver a ruling.
During oral arguments, team members will take turns presenting arguments. It is up to each team to divide responsibilities and speaking time relatively evenly. We should note that judges will interrupt teams as they present their oral arguments, asking questions and challenging arguments. An important part of preparing for Moot Court is preparing to engage with the judges in this sort of dialogue.
Teams will be judged based on criteria outlined in the American Moot Court Association ballot, which are their knowledge of the subject matter, their response to questions from the panel, their forensic skills (presentation) and courtroom decorum, and the organization, logic and clarity of their arguments.
Debaters are allowed to bring notes and prepared resources into the hearing/round, but not laptops or other electronic devices used for storing information. Strict rules regarding decorum are maintained during the hearing. These rules may be found in the IEProgram's Moot Court Rules of Competition and Style Guide.
