Friday, February 13, 1998
Competition allows students to gain valuable trial
experience
LAW SCHOOL: Courts let future lawyers practice skills, win
recognition
By Emi Kojima
Daily Bruin Contributor
Eager to jump into the court room, law students have been
organizing a competition to test how well they argue.
The Moot Court program gives students a taste of a real-life
experience in the courtroom and has gained recognition under this
year’s leadership.
In these mock trials, two-person teams prepare briefs for
fictitious appellate court cases. They argue their positions in
front of professional judges at the Moot Court competition.
Students participate in the program because it gives them a
flavor of the law in practice as opposed to the law they learn in
the classroom.
"It reflects what you can do when you’re outside of the law
school," said Eran Lagstein, Moot Court participant and second-year
law student.
"It’s really fun," he said. "It’s intense. It gives you a chance
to speak, (whereas) in law school everything is based on
writing."
Students also participate in Moot Court to network and to
mention their experience on their resumes.
This year’s executive board has added a luncheon to the
competition so that students get a chance to speak with the
professional lawyers and judges who evaluate them.
"I’ve met people who have made employment contacts from the
program," said Beth Kraemer, Chief Justice and third-year law
student.
Board members and participants alike agree that the program is
well worth the effort involved.
"It’s rewarding at the end of year when people come and thank
us," Kraemer said.
This fall’s program was open to all second-year students.
Approximately 200 people participated. The top 60 teams will now
advance to the spring honors competition at UCLA on Feb. 28 and
30.
Students are selected for the honors competition based on their
combined scores earned from the brief and oral argument
sections.
The fall competition was close. "The quality was very high,"
said Kraemer.
From the next competition, 12 students will earn the award of
"Distinguished Advocates," and the top four will compete in the
Roscoe Pound competition.
"I feel it’s the most practical activity at the law school that
reflects what you can do in the real world," Lagstein said.
Moot Court will send one team of three to the state competition
for fall 1998.
Two teams of three students will advance to the separate
national competitions.
"There are always some stand-out teams," said Shelley Levine,
UCLA Law School director of extern and judicial clerkship
programs.
Levine, who participated in the Moot Court program when she
attended UCLA Law School, also is the national and state team
advisor. The position is a new one that will help "beef up the
program," according to Kraemer.
This year a UCLA Moot Court team won second place at the
regional national competition. The team flew to New York to compete
in the second level of the national competition.
This team was the first to win at the regional competition. And,
for the first time, all students who participate in the national
competition, will get two academic credits for their work in Moot
Court.
Right now, the Moot Court board is busy preparing for the spring
honors event, even working up to 40 hours per week. But board
members greet their work without whining.
"We’re all friends," Kraemer said. "The board works well
together. We get pizza and hang out."
Moot Court has been rounding up professional attorneys and
judges. Each team will have three judges to evaluate each
mini-trial.
"They are really good giving feedback on writing and oral
(skills)," McCoy said.
Although other law schools have similar programs, UCLA’s Moot
Court distinguishes itself by writing its own handbook. The book is
published by West Publishing, who distributes it to law school book
stores across the country.
Students who participate in Moot Court buy the handbook for
guidance. The first UCLA Moot Court handbook was published in
1969.
"The handbook is helpful to show youth general order of how
everything is organized," Lagstein said.
Currently, Wendy Stanford, a member of the Moot Court executive
board and third-year law student, is rewriting the handbook. She
hopes to publish the fourth edition this year.
"We’ve taken the suggestions of students who participated in the
program since the last book was written and are trying to improve
it," Stanford said.