Moot court set to begin for 13th year

Karli Strom - News and Opinion Editor

“Moot Court seems intimidating at the start, especially if you don’t have experience with the law,” said Professor Andre Audette, “but we have had people be successful from a variety of different majors and people who have never had any experience before.” Moot Court preparation for the fall semester has started, with the first tutoring session on September 27^th.

Moot Court is a competition where students can simulate courtroom proceedings to craft arguments about current constitutional issues. “It’s also an opportunity that is kind of unique to Monmouth College,” said Audette, “It’s one that a lot of people recognize as being an important activity. It’s a good resume builder, whether people want to go to law school or into a legal career or not.” This is the 13^th year of the oral argument competition, and the 4^th year of the legal brief writing competition.   

Anita Gándara, a senior at Monmouth, explored the Moot Court competition for the first time last fall, “my Moot Court experience last year was definitely out of my comfort zone. It was my first year competing, and I didn’t really know what to expect, but I felt support through the whole process. It was scary at first, but I ended up really enjoying my experience.” Gándara’s favorite part was getting to interact with alumni Kate Cross ’08. “She was the judge during the preliminary round. After the round, I got to ask her questions about her career as a public defender. It was so great to meet other powerful women in the legal field,” said Gándara.

Competing in Moot Court allows students to build and strengthen their skill sets, “things like public speaking, how to craft an effective argument, how to present an argument, how to respond to questions. Those are the broad skills that everyone can benefit from,” said Audette. There are also opportunities for students to network, build their resume, and even win a cash prize. “If folks want to come and watch if they can’t participate this year or if they just want to scope it out for next year, they should come to the finals round to see what it’s all about,” said Audette. The preliminary round will be on November 4^th at 9 am. The final round will be on November 9^th at 7 pm and will be open to the public.