Moot Court

Students participating in the Moot Court Program oversee the intramural Advocate of the Year Competition in the fall and assist in preparing and administering an oral advocacy exercise for the first-year Legal Writing Program in the spring.

In the Fall, the Board organizes the Advocate of the Year Competition (AYC). AYC is an intramural appellate advocacy competition open to all second, third, and fourth year students who have successfully completed the spring first-year academic program. AYC occurs over a series of weekends and culminates in a final competition where the school’s two top oral advocates argue before a panel of distinguished local judges.

During the spring, the Board oversees the work of the Moot Court Case Counsel as they assist the Legal Writing Professors in preparing problems for and administering an oral advocacy exercise which is part of the Legal Writing Program. First year students are organized into small groups and are assigned a Case Counsel to guide them through the exercise. Students within each group are then assigned to represent either the Appellant or Respondent in an appellate case. The students are extensively coached on oral advocacy techniques and are given an opportunity to videotape and review their arguments. During the final oral argument weekend, students present their argument against an opponent and before a panel of USF alumni serving as trial judges.

Upon successful completion of the first-year academic program, all students are encouraged to apply to become Case Counsel for the following academic year so that they may continue this wonderful tradition ofadvocacy at USF.

Board

Executive Director

Dan Blomgren - dlblomgren@gmail.com

Development Directors

Phong Nguyen - pgnguyen@usfca.edu
Jessica K Mohr - jkmohr@dons.usfca.edu

Managing Director

Liz McDonald - elizabeth.mcdonald7@gmail.com

Advocacy Director

Robin Lagorio - rmlagorio@gmail.com