Drake University Law School will host a regional round of the 67th Annual National Moot Court Competition Nov. 17-19.
Co-sponsored by the New York City Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers, the National Moot Court Competition is the nation’s oldest and largest moot court competition.
The inter-law school competition consists of a written brief and an oral argument on a leading legal controversy. The event gives students the opportunity to hone their appellate advocacy skills by arguing before practicing attorneys and judges.
Teams from more than 120 law schools nationwide will compete in one of 15 regional rounds, with the top two teams from each region advancing to the national finals held in New York City in January 2017.
Drake Law School will host the Region 14 competition, which includes teams from Drake University, the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, the University of South Dakota, the University of St. Thomas, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
This is the first time in six years Drake has been selected to host the regional competition.
“We are excited to welcome law students from across the region to Des Moines,” said Laurie Doré, Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Law and coach of Drake’s moot court team. “This is a great opportunity to showcase Drake Law School and our outstanding facilities. It also demonstrates the tremendous support the local legal community provides to the Law School and its moot court programs.”
A Drake team has placed first or second in the region and advanced to the National Moot Court Competition finals in New York City 20 times in the past 26 years.
Most recently, Drake advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2014 and the national semifinals in 2013, receiving the third highest brief score and placing third overall in the competition.
Learn more about the National Moot Court Competition.
Note: Volunteers are still needed to serve as judges for the preliminary and quarterfinal rounds of the regional competition. If you’re interested in volunteering as a judge, complete the online form.