The University of Colorado at Boulder Law School

Appellate and Trial Competitions

Students compete in moot court competitions to develop skills in appellate brief writing and oral argument, and gain valuable trial practice experience. The Dean's Fund and endowments provide financial assistance to support student participation in these competitions. Colorado Law teams have consistently been extremely competitive in their competitions. Students may earn academic credit for their participation. Selection of teams varies by competition and from year to year, depending on student interest. The competition program is managed by a select group of students comprising the Barristers' Council.  Barristers' selects competitions, provides opportunities for various specialty legal interests and gives interested 3Ls leadership opportunities.  The Barristers' masthead is attached here.

Dean Phil Weiser has appointed Professor Mimi Wesson Faculty Supervisor of the mock trial program. Professor Wesson ordinarily requires students seeking credit for participation in mock trial competitions to prepare for competition by completing law school courses in Evidence (three hours) and Trial Advocacy (two hours).  Completion of Intersession Trial Advocacy satisfies the second requirement, as does completion of any other law school course called Trial Advocacy.  Completion of the five-hour course Evidence and Trial Practice satisfies both requirements.

If you wish to seek a waiver, please complete this form and email, with a current transcript, to Prof. Wesson at wesson@colorado.edu no later than 10 days prior to the "add" date for the term in which the earliest external competition(s) is/are to occur.

Students have participated in a variety of competitions:

• ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition.  Since 1950, the New York City Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers have sponsored this competition, where every year over 150 law schools compete in the regional rounds throughout the United States, and the winners advance to the final rounds held at the New York City Bar. Our elite Rothgerber team has competed in this rigorous national competition.  Topics typically include cutting edge Constitutional issues.
• Child Welfare & Adoption Law Moot Court Competition. Students argue current topics before a simulated state supreme court.  The students are coached by family law clinical faculty or experienced family law practitioners.
• Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition in Constitutional Law: This competition is hosted by the American Constitution Society, a national organization of lawyers, judges, law students, and others interested in ensuring that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice enjoy a meaningful place in American law.
• Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Moot Court Competition: The HNBA competition is made up of approximately 30 schools with a two to three member team. Students must first write a brief, then engage in a month-long series of practice rounds before traveling to the competition. The competition problem is prepared by the HNBA and typically involves issues of constitutional law, often coupled with a statutory claim.
• Jim R. Carrigan Cup: Colorado Law conducts the Carrigan Cup Competition to select the two teams to compete in the National Moot Trial Competition, the nation's oldest and most prestigious trial advocacy competition. Colorado teams then compete in the regional round and regularly advance to the national finals each spring. The Carrigan Cup endowment was established by family and friends in honor of judge and former faculty member Jim R. Carrigan.
• Inter-American Sustainable Development Moot Court Competition:  Students participated in the inaugural and subsequent competitions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  This competition is presented in English and Portuguese, but students need only present in one language. Our Nicholas R. Doman Society of International Law actively participates in the competition and provides financial support for the team.
• Mardi Gras Invitational Sports Law Competition: Each year, Tulane University School of law Moot Court, in conjunction with the Tulane Sports Lawyers' Journal, hosts the Mardi Gras Sports Law Competition, an appellate competition focusing on sports-law related topics.
• National Invitational Trial Tournament of Champions.  As a testament to Colorado Law's competitive trial teams, we have been invited to compete in the elite tournament of champions hosted by St. John's University School of Law in New York City,
• National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare and Adoption Law: This is the first ever competition on child welfare and adoption law. It is at Capitol University Law School in partnership with The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, The National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, The ABA Center on Children and the Law, The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and The National Association of Counsel for Children.
• National Student Trial Advocacy Competition: Sponsoring American Association for Justice, this is an annual nationwide mock trial competition for law students to develop and practice their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench. 
• The National Trial Competition: Sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen students advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar.
• National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition: Co-sponsored by the Columbus School of Law and the Federal Communications Bar Association since 1994, the National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition requires teams to submit a brief and deliver oral arguments before a panel of practicing attorneys who specialize in communications law. Our students placed first nationwide in 2011 and second in 2010.
• Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition: This is the only moot court competition devoted to federal Indian Law. The focus of the competition is on a significant problem within federal Indian Law.
• National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition: Pace University School of Law founded the competition in 1989. The legal problem involves timely issues of national importance to the practice of environmental law. The competition tests the oral and written advocacy skills of law students in appellate court litigation.
• Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition: Jessup Students moot (brief and argue) a complex topic of international law. Colorado Law fields a team of up to five students. Our Nicholas R. Doman Society of International Law actively participates in the competition and provides financial support for the team. Recent topics have included expropriation of foreign investment, international terrorism, and child abduction. 
• Rothgerber Moot Court Competition: This Colorado Law competition is sponsored by the late Ira C. Rothgerber Jr., in memory of his father, Judge Ira C. Rothgerber. Teams are coached by our Legal Writing Professors.
• Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition: The International Trademark Association has been presenting an annual competition on trademark and unfair competition law for U.S. law students for over 20 years.