How many moots does the Institute hold each year?
While the number of moots varies from year to year, generally the Institute moots about 90 percent of the cases heard before the Court in a given Term. During the October Term 2007, the Institute provided moot courts in 68 cases, representing 97 percent of the cases heard by the Supreme Court.
When and where do the moots take place?
The moots are generally scheduled for Wednesday (at 10:00 AM or 3:30 PM), Thursday (at 10:00 AM or 3:30 PM) or Friday (at 10:00 AM or 3:00 PM) one week before the actual oral argument is to be heard by the Court. The moots are held at the law school campus in the Institute's moot court room, which is located in Room 2003 of the Hotung International Law Building. Moot sessions typically run between an hour and a half and two hours.
What is the format of a moot?
The moots are roughly divided into two parts. The first part is formal in character and the second part is an informal discussion. We ask both counsel and the Justices to stay in role during the first part of the proceeding, in order to maximize the value of the formal moot. We keep track of the time and notify counsel when time is up, but then allow the formal questioning and answering to proceed until the "Chief Justice" concludes that time would be better spent in the second part of the moot, which is the informal discussion. The formal question/answer session typically last about 45 minutes, but never more than one hour. During the informal discussion that follows, counsel and the Justices have the opportunity to discuss the case, including the relative effectiveness and ineffectiveness of all aspects of counsel's argument. The discussion is simultaneously candid and constructive.
Who is eligible to act as a Justice in a moot?
The Justices for these moot courts are typically from a mix of backgrounds, including members of the Georgetown law faculty with considerable experience arguing before the Court, attorneys with D.C. firms with Supreme Court oral argument experience, recent Supreme Court law clerks (beyond, of course, the two-year time bar), alumni of the Solicitor General’s Office, and, in appropriate cases, current members of the Solicitor General’s Office. The Institute deliberately does not, unless requested by the arguing counsel, regularly include attorneys employed by organizations with a strong ideological interest in the case.
Who do I contact to volunteer as a Justice?
Please contact SCI Deputy Director Dori Bernstein at dkb37@law.georgetown.edu or 202-662-9630 if you are interested in volunteering as a Justice.
Will my participation be confidential?
Moot court proceedings are strictly confidential. All participants and observers are instructed and understand the importance of such confidentiality, given the nature of the exchanges. We appreciate the service of our volunteer Justices and in no way wish to violate their trust. Therefore, we do not identify our Justices for specific cases to outside sources.
How do I prepare for a moot?
About two weeks before the moot you will be sent a full set of case briefs, including merits briefs, amicus briefs, and the lower court decision
