In classes like 'moot court' or 'trial advocacy,' we often learn from real attorneys how to act like real attorneys. Co-Curricular Activities Students can find organizations that enhance the curriculum by taking material out of the classroom for practice in legal arenas. The Moot Court program is designed to hone a student's litigation skills in research, analysis, writing and oral argument. Moot Court is divided into Moot Court I, Moot Court II and Upper Division Moot Court Competitions. In Moot Court I, student teams research and prepare an appellate brief with the assistance of the Moot Court Board, which is composed of third-year students who previously excelled in the program.
Teams participate in several rounds of oral arguments.
The top 20 students in Moot Court I are invited to participate in Moot Court II during the second semester. The final arguments are held before a large audience at the School of Law and judged by visiting justices and judges from the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Missouri Supreme Court and the Missouri Court of Appeals, as well as other federal and state courts. Finalists in Moot Court II are eligible to compete in National Moot Court. There are upper division moot court competitions in constitutional law, international law, health law and intellectual property law. Guest judges in past years have included U.S. Supreme Court Justices William H. Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia.