They haven’t been certified to practice law yet, but UCLA
law students gave oral arguments in front of a panel of lawyers and
judges on Saturday.
The annual Moot Court competition, hosted by the UCLA Moot Court
Executive Board, is an important event for the UCLA School of Law
which allows students to gain first-hand experience with federal
appellate litigation.
Throughout Saturday, the law school was littered with students
in suits and lawyers and judges in flowing black robes. Students
stood anxiously for the 15-minute presentations, delivering
arguments and fielding questions from local lawyers and judges
acting as “Supreme Court Justices.”
“I’m looking forward to the oral argument stage. You
don’t get many opportunities to practice your oral arguments
in law school,” said second-year law student Steve Kaplan
before the competition began.
Students participating in Moot Court are asked to write
appellate briefs, legal documents presented to appellate
courts.
They also prepare oral arguments, which were presented
Saturday.
Law students, who partnered up into teams of two, competed
against one another in front of three to four
“justices.”
Students must be well-versed in the issues they are arguing,
since the justices often stop them to ask specific questions.
The atmosphere was similar to that of the proceedings of a real
Supreme Court case, said Gene Williams, a lawyer for law firm
Kirkland & Ellis LLP and volunteer for the competition.
“There are obviously artificial constructs, but the
question and answer format and the brief writing is fairly
accurate,” he said.
Many law students said the experience allows them to fine-tune
the skills necessary to be a trial lawyer, such as public debate
and brief writing.
“Moot Court is the most realistic thing you do in law
school. … It’s very practical,” said Tim Chandler,
president of the Executive Board.
Each year, there are two issues up for debate, and this year
both dealt with Health Maintenance Organizations. The issues were
carefully crafted by the Executive Board to ensure they were
realistic, Chandler said.
One deals with whether Title III of the American with
Disabilities Act applies to the content and coverage of insurance
policies, and whether capping HMOs for cancer patients is
discriminatory.
The other situation explores an HMO’s responsibility
regarding a wrongful death claim in which a Jehovah’s witness
died as a result of refusing a blood transfusion for religious
reasons.
Law students spent hours studying and researching for Moot
Court, since the competition calls for a comprehensive knowledge of
past laws and court rulings relevant to the issues being
argued.
“So far it’s been an excellent experience.
It’s a lot of work. I’ve put in around 70 hours, but
I’ve learned a lot,” said Evan Dwin, a second-year law
student.
Much of the UCLA law school and surrounding community comes
together to host, plan and participate in the event.
“We get a lot of support from the two local law firms.
They provide funding, lawyers, awards, coaches, and they put on
seminars on how to write briefs and how to do oral
arguments,” said Eileen O’Brien, vice president of the
Executive Board.
Students doing well in this round of the event ““ the Fall
Competition ““ proceed to the Spring Honors Competition.
Eventually, top performers can go on to compete in the prestigious
Roscoe Pound Tournament, which is exclusive to UCLA students.
Winners earn a cash prize and attention from local law
firms.
Those who continue to excel go on to competitions where they
face law students from around the country.
Williams won the Roscoe Pound Competition while a student at the
School of Law, and said the experience solidified his desire to
become a lawyer.
“It was the best thing I did at UCLA. Any doubts I had
about becoming a litigator rushed away,” Williams said.