The constitutional and civil rights competitions entered by the school vary yearly based upon student interest and scheduling. Recent years have seen tremendous performance by the teams.
The National Moot Court Team
This is the oldest and one of the most prestigious competitions. According to the NY City Bar, it is an annual inter-law school event co-sponsored by New York City Bar Association's National Moot Court Competition Committee and the American College of Trial Lawyers. Every year, more than 120 law schools compete in regional rounds throughout the United States, with winners advancing to final rounds at the New York City Bar. It began in 1950.
National Appellate Advocacy Competition
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ School of Law sends teams to the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition, sponsored by the American Bar Association. According to the ABA, competitors participate in a hypothetical appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The competition involves writing a brief as either respondent or petitioner and then arguing the case in front of the mock court.
Ault Mock Trial Team
The Ault Mock Trial Team is an intensive academic and skill-based program designed to prepare students for trial practice. Students learn to develop trial strategies, examine witnesses, present arguments to juries and judges and use the rules of evidence and procedure while becoming familiar with being in a courtroom. The program is focused on providing students with practical exposure to trial tactics while emphasizing the academic areas of evidence and procedure. It focuses on both the art and science of trial work.
The team represents the law school at national and regional trial competitions, including the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition, the American Association for Justice National Competition and the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County Mock Trial Competition. The team also hosts an annual competition with schools from Ohio and Kentucky.
The program is open to all second- and third-year students and membership on the team is gained through an open, school-wide competition. Students who participate for one or two years receive academic credit.
Craven Constitutional Moot Court Team
This competition is in honor of Judge James Braxton Craven, Jr., who – after a long career of legal service in North Carolina – served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit until his death in 1977. Held at the University of North Carolina School of Law, the competition involves one team of two or three students from each law school. In 2014, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½â€™s team won the Scribes Award, given to the best brief, out of all the nation's moot court competitions.