This competition simulates a negotiation in which law students, acting
as attorneys, attempt to reach a settlement that is in the best interest
of their client. Each two person team is given confidential client
information, as well as general facts, to use when resolving disputes and
structuring transactions with another team. The winning team represents
the College of Law at the ABA regional competition. Regional winners
advance to national competition.
Environmental Moot Court is an excellent opportunity to develop
knowledge of environmental and administrative law. Both second and third
year students are invited to participate in the fall competition.
Competitors are required to write an appellate brief encompassing two
environmental law questions: one substantive, one procedural. The
competitors then argue their side before a three judge panel. Only second
year students may advance to the external competition, held at Pace
University in New York.
The purpose of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition is to
expose all participants to as realistic an appellate advocacy experience
as possible. The competition is sponsored by the National Black Law Students Association. Internal competitions are held at the College of
Law, from which the top competitors are chosen to compete nationally and
also to serve as editors of next year's competition.
The Frederick Green Moot Court Competition is the oldest and,
generally, largest of the moot court competitions at the College of Law.
The issue is often a constitutional one and is briefed and argued as if
before the United States Supreme Court. Participants are in teams of two,
each member taking a particular question presented. Each team prepares a
brief, with each participant writing the argument for his or her question
presented. After the teams submit the brief, the teams will participate in
a number of oral arguments, at least one of which will be off-brief. From
the many competitors in the fall competition, 24 are chosen to advance to
the spring competition. The 24 participants then brief and argue another
issue, and based on this performance competitors will qualify for one of
four teams that will represent the College of Law the following year at
various competitions around the country.
College of Law students write the highly regarded Illinois Law Update
Section of the Illinois Bar Journal, the official monthly publication of
the Illinois State Bar Association. The Section aims to provide practicing
attorneys with analyses of important Illinois and federal court opinions
handed down within the preceding calendar year.
The IP Moot Court Competition deals with intellectual property issues
such as patents and trademarks. Team members have participated in the
Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition which is sponsored by the
American Intellectual Property Law Association. Team members could also
participate in the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition which focuses on
trademark and unfair competition issues. The top four finishers from the
fall internal competition will advance to the following spring's external
competition which could be either or both of the competitions listed
above. There is recognition for best brief, best oralist, and best
overall. No scientific background or training is required to compete in
this competition.
The National Hispanic Bar Association Moot Court Competition deals with
Constitutional and Civil Liberities issues relevant to all Americans, especially
Latinas/os. During the fall semester, second and third year students work
in pairs on an appellate brief and argue their cases before practicing
attorneys and judges as well as faculty members. The top competitors are
awarded best brief, best oralist, and best overall. The top three
finishers advance to the national competition in the spring of the
following academic year.
The Jessup competition deals with international law and has risen to the preeminent
position of being the world's largest and most prestigious international
law moot court competition. Today, approximately 1,500 student from more
than 300 law schools in almost 50 nations on six continents participate in
the Competition. In the fall, second and third year students work in pairs
to write memorials, submitted in theory to the International Court of
Justice in the Hague. The participants argue their cases before practicing
attorneys and judges as well as faculty members. The top competitors are
awarded best memorial, best oralist and best overall. The top five
competitors advance to become the next year's Jessup Cup team,
representing the College of Law at regional and international levels of
competition.
