Judge an upcoming Moot Court Competition

Competitive Opportunities

Internal Competitions

The School of Law hosts both an internal trial and appellate moot court competition. The competition format recognizes the importance of teaching material in a practical setting, where students have an opportunity to learn then apply discrete skills. If you are interested in judging any of these competitions, please contact our Director of Internal Competitions, Sam McCrimmon, at 313-596-9819.

Fall Semester:

• Ernie Goodman Mock Trial Tournament
  The Ernie Goodman Mock Trial Tournament is hosted by the Moot Court Board of Advocates and named for one of Michigan’s finest trial attorneys and civil rights advocates, Mr. Ernie Goodman. Competitors, in teams of two, are required to attend trial workshops, to produce a trial notebook, and to try the competition case at least twice (once as plaintiff and once as defendant) in the preliminary rounds of the tournament. The trial will be evaluated by judges and attorneys who act as judge and jury. Two teams will then advance to the final round, with cash prizes available. Regardless of whether students enroll for credit, the prerequisites are Evidence and Trial Practice (either the traditional course or the NITA intercession course). Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above to enroll for academic credit.

Spring Semester:

• Gallagher Professional Responsibility Appellate Moot Court Competition
  Each year, the Moot Court Board of Advocates sponsors this appellate moot court competition that is open to all upper-class UDM students. While the competition has traditionally addressed criminal procedure issues, in recognition of the Law School’s strong commitment to ethics, this competition is now also devoted to questions of professional responsibility that might arise during the representation of a criminal defendant.
  
  Students will attend a two-hour introductory competition/writing workshop at the beginning of the term. At the meeting, competitors will receive information about the competition and will discuss the legal issues presented in the competition problem. There will also be a lecture on writing skills and processes. Several weeks after the competition problem is distributed, competitors will submit a written brief. The briefs will be reviewed by faculty brief graders and returned to the competitors with written comments. Competitors will improve the brief, based on the written feedback received, and submit a final revised version. Competitors also prepare oral arguments, practice these arguments with faculty, student coaches, or other volunteers for a minimum of 2.5 hours, then compete in the preliminary and advanced oral argument rounds. Prizes will be awarded. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above to enroll for academic credit.

• G. Mennen Williams Moot Court Competition
  This is the mandatory first-year moot court competition and is part of the Applied Legal Theory and Analysis course. Students will draft a dispositive motion and brief in support as part of their writing course. They will then argue their position before a mock tribunal. Students will receive in-class oral advocacy training from their ALTA professors as well as from the Moot Court Board of Advocates.

External Competitions

Fall Competition:

• State of Michigan Moot Court Competition
  This appellate moot court competition was created by UDM and it is hosted, on a rotating basis, by several of the law schools in Michigan. Competitive teams from all Michigan law schools are invited to attend, the moot court problem addresses novel or interesting issues of Michigan law, and many prominent Michigan judges and practitioners judge the oral argument rounds.
  
  UDM team members are selected in the second week of the fall semester. These two- to four-member teams will write an appellate brief and prepare oral arguments that will be heard before a mock appellate court. Advanced Advocacy is a pre- or co-requisite, and students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above to tryout and compete.

Fall and Spring Competitions:

• National Teams
  Each year the Moot Court Board of Advocates sponsors competitive teams that travel across the country to argue mock appellate cases against law students from other American and Canadian law schools. In the past, substantive law topics have included Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Employment Law, Entertainment Law, Environmental Law, International Law, and Tax Law. Team members are selected in the second week of the fall semester to serve on a competitive team the following spring. In the spring semester, two- to four-member teams will write an appellate brief and prepare oral arguments that will be heard before a mock appellate court. Students will then travel to the host school and present their arguments over the course of one weekend. Advanced Advocacy is a pre- or co-requisite, and students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above to tryout and compete.