Each year, the Law School’s National Moot Court team competes with approximately 150 law schools in the National Moot Court Competition. The competition, sponsored by the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Young Lawyers Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, focuses on developing the art of appellate advocacy. The topics selected are statutory or constitutional issues of current national interest, such as the constitutionality of sex-offender notification laws, the viability of the Miranda opinion, the right to video-tape police officers in the course of their duties, and the like.
The competition team is a group of six 3Ls selected from the second year program. Team members research and write two briefs, and prepare oral arguments. They compete at the regional competition, and if successful – as they have been nineteen of the past thirty-three years – they go on to the nationals in New York City in January.