Moot Court Honor Society

Trial Advocacy Division

The Trial Advocacy Division of the Moot Court Honor Society invites all 1L/2P/3P students to participate in the Spring Trial Division Tryouts. From this competition, the Trial Division selects new members to join the Society and compete the following year in competitions around the country.

The Spring Trial Division Tryouts consists of two rounds. In each round, a student must deliver an opening statement and conduct the cross examination of a witness portrayed by a current member of the Society. Students are provided with a Trial Record approximately two weeks prior to the first round and are assigned to either the prosecution or the defense and assigned the witness they will cross-examine.

Current members of the Trial Advocacy Division judge students participating in the Spring Trial Division Tryouts. Judges look for competitors that manifest a basic familiarity with the content and purpose of an opening statement and cross-examination and who are able to advocate with confidence and conviction.

Chosen Society members demonstrate the fundamentals of opening statements and cross-examinations in a workshop prior to the competition. Students who participate in Spring Trial Division Tryouts but are either not invited to join the society or are placed on the waitlist may try-out again during the Summer of their 2L/3P year.

Appellate Advocacy Division

Members of the Appellate Division compete each year in numerous competitions throughout the country. These competitions give students the opportunity to hone both their research and writing skills.

Students work hard to research and produce written briefs on issues involving the subject area of law in which they will compete. They spend a number of weeks drafting their briefs, then engage in weeks of “practice rounds,” aided by their coaches and members of the Society, to perfect their oral argument skills. By the time the competition takes place, they have perfected their arguments on both sides of the issue.

Appellate competitions address a wide spectrum of subjects, ranging from family law to criminal procedure to constitutional law to international law. Our Appellate Division competitors have won competitions every year and often advance beyond preliminary rounds to the quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds of competition.

Appellate Division Membership

Members of the Moot Court Honor Society’s Appellate Division are selected primarily through a two-round competition held in the spring of their 1L/2P/3P year of law school. Students who are either not invited to join the Society or are placed on the waitlist during their 1L/2P/3P year may apply for membership again during the Summer of their 2L/3P year.

Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition

Each year, Brooklyn Law School hosts the Dean Jerome Prince Memorial Evidence Competition. Named in honor of the late Dean and renowned evidence scholar, the competition draws over 30 law school teams from across the country to participate in an appellate competition addressing an issue at the forefront of evidence law. Members of the Moot Court Honor Society coordinate and facilitate the Prince Competition, and some students have an opportunity to work with faculty members to research and write the competition problem.

Willem C. Vis International Commerical Arbitration Moot

Brooklyn Law School is proud to send a team to the 30^th Annual Vis Moot held in Vienna, Austria in April 2023. The purpose of the Vis Moot is to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration and provide a practical training to students for resolving international business disputes. The team is comprised of third-year students from the Society, as well as unaffiliated students who have demonstrated excellence in requisite advocacy skills. Brooklyn Law School will host a practice demonstration for the public in the spring semester. Have questions or need additional information? Email the Brooklyn Law School Vis Team at brooklynlaw.vis@gmail.com.

Recent Moot Court Winners