Moot Court Overview and Requirements

During the first year, students will write a brief and compete in a 1L oral argument during the spring semester. Those students who advance in this oral argument will be invited to enroll in the Advanced Appellate Advocacy class in the fall of their second year. Students who elect to take this class will participate in a Grand Moot Competition. The winners of this Grand Moot Competition will become Pace’s National Moot Team. Selection to an inter school competition on the following teams will be made based on successful completion of the course. It will not be necessary for the students to participation in the fall tryouts for these specific competitions:

• National Environmental Competition
• Dean Jerome Prince Evidence Competition
• National Moot Court Competition
• International Environmental Moot Court Competition
• American Constitutional Society
• Duberstein Moot Court Competition (Bankruptcy)

Professor Fasulo will assign students to these teams based on the student’s own interests and his recommendation.

Selection for Additional Moot Courts

All students are eligible to try out for the following moot courts. Students who take or have completed the Advanced Appellate Advocacy class will not be guaranteed a spot in and must try out for the following moot court teams in the fall of their second or third year:

• International Criminal Court Moot Competition
• Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot
• Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
• BLSA Fredrick Douglass Moot (membership required)
• Thomas Tang Competition
• American Constitutional Society

The Moot Court Board will hold tryouts for these moot court teams in the fall semester, but make no decisions or recommendations on which students will get on each team. Professor Fasulo in conjunction with the individual team advisors, will decide which students are selected for which moot court team.

Application Material for the Moot Court Program

• Written Application
• Provide Availability for Oral Argument scheduling
• Unofficial transcript
• Oral argument problem and supplemental materials (including record, exhibits and two briefs) available only in hard copy from Aloysia 204.

No additional research is permitted or necessary. All tryouts will be digitally recorded.

Moot Court Course: Law 872

Students participating and representing Haub Law School in the inter-school Moot Court Competitions will be eligible to receive two academic credits through Appellate and Trial Advocacy Competition Teams LAW 872. Eligible competitions are determined by the Director of the Moot Court Competition. Students who have competed in the following competitions have received two academic credits in the past:

• The Animal Advocacy Moot Court Competition
• The Clive M. Schmitthoff International Essay Competition
• The Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition
• The International Criminal Moot Court
• The International Environmental Moot Court Competition
• The National Black Law Students Association’s Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition
• The National Environmental Moot Court Competition
• The National Moot Court Competition
• The Pace Law School Grand Moot Competition
• The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
• The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot

Advanced Appellate Advocacy: Law 849

Advanced Appellate Advocacy LAW 849 offers advanced training in written and oral advocacy. Subjects covered include structuring written and oral arguments, understanding a court's scope of review, persuasive use of authority, drafting a statement of facts, persuasive writing style, and courtroom skills.
There are five separate sections. Each section addresses a different subject matter and has different scheduling requirements and assignments. Each section meets approximately six times during the semester and culminates in an oral argument.

Enrollment is limited and is only open to second-year day students and second- and third-year evening students. Each section is limited to 18 students. Total enrollment is limited to the top 42 students selected from the Louis V. Fasulo First Year Moot Court Competition. Students from the Louis V. Fasulo First Year Moot Court Competition or top oralist are invited to take this course. Students selected for the Grand Moot program will be automatically enrolled in a two credit Fall 2009 semester section of Advanced Appellate Advocacy.

General Rules and Regulations

1. Team members confirm in writing that they will work on briefs and moots during holidays and breaks;
2. A student may only participate in one moot court team in an academic year;
3. A student member of a moot court team may be expelled by the Moot Court Academic Director on the advice of the Faculty Advisor if he/she does not meet deadlines or other moot requirements;
4. Members of Moot Court teams must present oral arguments before a panel of judges approximately seven to ten times before the competition. The schedule for oral argument sessions must be submitted in writing to the Moot Court Director within a week of submitting the written briefs.

Student Member and Team Responsibilities

1. Read and comply with Pace Law School and Moot Court Rules and Regulations.
2. Provide the Moot Court Director with a copy of internal brief deadlines.
3. Appoint a team leader immediately to make travel arrangements for the team, to drop off briefs to be photocopied; and help mail briefs for the competition.
4. Set up oral practice rounds and weekly meetings with Faculty Advisor.
5. As team leader, collect travel waiver from each team member.
6. If conflict arises among team members, the team leader will first try to resolve the problem. If unsuccessful, the team leader will refer the matter to the Faculty Advisor.
7. Discuss and obtain approval of all travel arrangements with Moot Court Director. The Moot Court Director will advise students of budget guidelines and will make travel arrangements within those guidelines. Students/Coaches/Advisors requesting travel in excess of the amount indicated by the Moot Court Director will be individually responsible for the cost difference of such travel plans.
8. Discuss hotel reservations with Moot Court Director. The Moot Court Director will make arrangements for the hotel to be paid in advance if possible. If not, the students will be reimbursed for the room and all taxes. Students are responsible for telephone charges, movie rentals, and all other miscellaneous expenses.
9. Arrange for duplicating of briefs at Document Services in Aloysia Hall, one week before they are due.
10. Mail briefs to the competition in a timely manner.
11. Insure that the competition is videotaped and that the law school receives a copy of the videotape and copies of any photographs.
12. Submit meal receipts to the law school for reimbursement (if applicable).

Moot Court and Trial Advocacy Board Responsibilities

The Moot Court Board is selected in the Spring by the current Moot Court Board in conjunction with the director.

• Administer and run all aspects of the first year moot court competitions and assist in all aspects of the administration of the Grand Moot Court
• Assist in internal and external trial competitions
• Set up all components of the internal tryout;
• Set up all room assignments and other Pace Law School equipment requirements with Special Events Coordinator and attend calendar meetings;
• Oversee that photocopies of briefs are made one week before they are due;
• Oversee that the briefs are sent out in a timely manner
• Assist team leaders in sending out briefs to Competition headquarters;
• Arrange practice sessions with team leader;
• Assist in setting up final public in-house moot practices;
• Handle correspondence and distribution of briefs to law school faculty and outside judges;
• Report to the Pace Law School community on teams' performance;
• Assist in managing the Pace Law School Moot Court Program Website;
• Assist the Director and the Administrator in the various administrative components of the competitions as well as preparation of the moot court budget.
• Propose policies and procedures for Moot Court teams and competitions and work with the Director in the development of the overall Moot Court program in the law school.

Student Member and Team Responsibilities

1. Read and comply with the Elisbeth Haub School of Law and Moot Court Rules and Regulations.
2. Provide the Moot Court Director with a copy of internal brief deadlines.
3. Appoint a team leader immediately to make travel arrangements for the team, to drop off briefs to be photocopied; and help mail briefs for the competition.
4. Set up oral practice rounds and weekly meetings with Faculty Advisor.
5. If team can drive to competition, arrange for car rental.
6. As team leader, collect travel waiver from each team member.
7. If conflict arises among team members, the team leader will first try to resolve the problem. If unsuccessful, the team leader will refer the matter to the Faculty Advisor.
8. Make travel arrangements. The Moot Court Director will provide budget guidelines to the students and Faculty Advisor. Expenditures in excess of the amount indicated by the Moot Court Director is the responsibility of student incurring such expenditures.
9. Make hotel reservations. The Moot Court Director will make arrangements for the hotel to be paid in advance if possible. If not, the students will be reimbursed for the room and all taxes. Students are responsible for telephone charges, movie rentals, and all other miscellaneous expenses.
10. Arrange for duplicating of briefs at Document Services in Aloysia Hall, one week before they are due.
11. Mail briefs to the competition in a timely manner.
12. Insure that the competition is videotaped and that the law school receives a copy of the videotape and copies of any photographs.
13. Submit meal receipts to the law school for reimbursement (if applicable).

Faculty Advisor

1. Work at least once a week on substantive law issues and on oral arguments;
2. Resolve Team conflicts and other issues that may arise;
3. Make all decisions on which team members will give oral arguments at the Competition and who will be limited to research and writing briefs;
4. Evaluate student performance and give all grades in Law 872.

• Communications announcing the competitions will be sent out during the first week of classes.
• Students will submit completed applications by the first week of the academic year.
• Students who have moot related questions should feel free to visit the Moot Court Program Director Professor Louis Fasulo or contact him via email or telephone.
• Internal oral advocacy "tryout" for all Moot competitions will be scheduled in early September of the academic year.
• Faculty will select students for teams before October 1 of the academic year.
• Notice of Team selection will be posted on or about October 1 of the academic year.
• The Moot Director will arrange meetings with students, if necessary, to explain selection decision.
• Each Team will meet with their Faculty Advisors in early October.
• A team leader for each Moot team will be selected prior to or at the first meeting.
• If available, a folder of information will be given to each team member which gives the moot problem, travel waiver, signature for compliance of individual Moot Court Competition Rules and General Moot Court Program Policies (working during holidays, understanding that team members may be asked to leave the team for failure to meet responsibilities up until the last written brief is submitted; submitting form asking for 10-20 oral arguments).
• The students will research and submit their briefs.
• Immediately after briefs are submitted, the team must submit an oral argument schedule, submit travel waivers, and begin oral argument practice.
• Oralists for each team are confirmed.
• Internal/Formal Practice Rounds set up.
• The Director will contact each Moot Court Team Leader one month prior to the competition to make travel arrangements.
• Teams are Competition Bound!
• Team members will meet with advisor/coach to discuss brief edits and other case requirements.
• Team members will turn in final re-write of brief by the end of the semester in which the oral argument component of their specific moot took place (see Moot Court Course Description: Law 872).
• Teams will report on their Moot Court Competition, make requests for reimbursements (if applicable), and submit any photos or videotapes that were taken during the competition.
• Students in all Moots will be honored at a Law School Reception in the Spring Semester.

Program Director:
Professor Louis Fasulo
Aloysia-204
Phone: (914) 422-4403
Fax: (914) 422-4015
Email: lfasulo@law.pace.edu

Administrative Assistant:
Loretta Musial
Aloysia-204
Phone: (914) 422-4227
Fax: (914) 422-4180
Email: Lmusial@law.pace.edu