C. Edwin Moore Moot Court Competition

This oral advocacy intra-school competition challenges first-year students’ organization and presentation skills.

The C. Edwin Moore Moot Court Competition is a voluntary competition offered to first-year students in the fall semester.

Competition Overview

This competition is aimed at challenging the students' organization and presentation skills in oral advocacy. Further, it provides an opportunity for students to gauge their interest in oral advocacy and is an excellent source of information for the Moot Court Board and those involved in the selection process for the skills teams at Drake Law School.

Unlike First-Year Oral Arguments and the Supreme Court Day Competition, the C. Edwin Moore Moot Court Competition does not include a written component. The problem is selected by the Moot Court Board and the students are provided all of the materials for the problem, including a synopsis of the problem, an outline of the argument for the appellant, and an outline of the argument for the appellee.

As the competition focuses on oral advocacy skills, students are instructed to make arguments within the information provided and avoid any outside research.

In addition to the honor and experience of making oral arguments to the experienced panels, cash prizes are awarded to the winner of the argument.

Competition Process

Students are advised of an informational meeting about the competition within the first few weeks of their first semester. This informational meeting covers the competition process and timeline, as well as the proper format for an appellate argument. One of the senior members of a moot court team also performs a mock argument.

For students who choose to participate, the two preliminary rounds are held over the course of two weeks and challenge the students to argue both for the appellant and the appellee. These rounds are argued before local attorneys, the majority of which have experience in appellate advocacy.

The semi-final round places the top ranking students in randomly assigned arguments against one another. The semi-final round is held before a panel, including Professor Laurie Doré and local attorneys who are hand-selected for their history with appellate advocacy.

The final round features the top four students, who argue in front of a panel of local judges—often a panel of the Iowa Court of Appeals in the courtroom at the Iowa Judicial Building.