JOINING MOOT COURT BOARD

The outgoing Board selects from the twenty-five most qualified applicants in the second-year class. Each candidate is required to sign a grade release form and submit a letter of interest. Each candidate must have competed in at least two board-sponsored competitions and be in good academic standing (GPA 2.00 or above). Participation in board competitions involves being a trial or appellate advocate in an in-school or travel team competition. Serving as a bailiff and/or witness in moot court or mock trial competition does not satisfy moot court board eligibility requirements.

Selection

Once candidates have submitted the grade release forms and letters of intent, their index scores are calculated. An index score is calculated from the advocate's performance in intraschool and participation on traveling teams. The score is based on oral and appellate brief/trial notebook scores in competitive in-school competitions and round advancement. Applicants who competed on traveling teams receive a five point addition to the index score.

Once the index scores are calculated, the Board elects twenty members from the top twenty-five index advocates. Each board member must be able to serve on the Moot Court Board for one full year.

Membership

The members of the Moot Court Board are required to perform a variety of responsibilities. The Board members judge rounds of the Advanced and Freshman moot court competitions. Board members may also help judge the traveling teams during practice.

Each board member who is not elected to an executive position serves on at least one committee. The committees research and write the problems for the intraschool competitions, grade briefs and trial notebooks submitted by competitors, and arrange for outside judges for intraschool competitions.

Credit for Graduation

Moot Court/Mock Trial In-School Competition Credit: Students may receive one academic credit for successful completion of two in-school competitions (moot court or mock trial). Students who successfully complete four competitions may receive two academic credits. Students may register for credit after completing the required competitions or during their final semester of law school.

Moot Court Board Credit: Members of the Moot Court Board may receive one academic credit on successful completion of their Moot Court Board obligations. Members of the Moot Court Board Executive Board may receive two academic credits on successful completion of the Moot Court Board obligations.

Travel team Competition Team Credit: Students who are members of inter-school competition teams (moot court/mock trial/ADR) are eligible for one or two Advanced Appellate Advocacy or one Advanced Trial Advocacy credits. Students must register for the relevant course with the permission of the Director of Advocacy.

Annual Calendar of Competitions

• October:
  • Advanced Moot Court (in-school)
    • Try-outs: none, but deadline to apply is September
• November:
  • New York Bar Association National Moot Court (travel team)
    • Try-outs: September
• January:
  • Frederick Douglass Moot Court (travel team)
    • Try-outs: November
• February:
  • National Mock Trial (travel team)
    • Try-outs: October
  • American Bar Association Mediation (travel team)
    • Try-outs: September
  • American Bar Association National Moot Court (travel team)
    • Try-outs: November
  • Mock Trial (in-school)
    • Try-outs: none, but deadline to apply is January
  • Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial (travel team)
    • Try-outs: November
• March:
  • Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court (travel team)
    • Try-outs: November
  • Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court (travel team).
    • Try-outs: November
  • Freshman Moot Court Competition (in-school)
    • Try-outs: none, but deadline to apply is late February/early March.

Contact Moot Court Board

MootCourt@memphis.edu
Office: Memphis Law Moot Court Board, 1 N. Front St., Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 678-2679