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Overview
The Moot Court Program is the centerpiece of the Supreme Court
Institute's public service activities. These practice sessions
allow attorneys to prepare for oral arguments before the Court.
The Law Center has become the principal stop of many counsel
seeking expert assistance in oral argument preparation prior
to appearing before the Court. Nearly all of all cases
heard by the Court are mooted at Georgetown before a panel of
"Justices" that includes law faculty and experienced Supreme
Court advocates. While the Institute is especially interested
in providing assistance to those attorneys who will be arguing
at the Court for the first time, the Institute has also held
moot courts for some of the nation's very best and most experienced
Supreme Court advocates. Moots are provided as a public service
to counsel at no charge on a non-partisan, first-come, first-serve
basis.
All moot courts take place in the Supreme Court Institute Moot Courtroom (.pdf), located on the Law Center campus in the Hotung International Building.
FAQs
What is a "moot"?
A "moot" is a practice session in which counsel presents
oral argument before a panel of "Justices" in preparation
for an appearance before the Supreme Court. The Justices
offer critiques of the argument as well as general comments
to help maximize counsel's opportunity to present an
effective, informative oral argument. The moots are
designed not only to aid counsel in further refining
their arguments, but also to familiarize counsel with
the general proceedings of the Court.
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.
What other activities
does the Supreme Court Institute sponsor?
In addition to the Moot Court Program, the Supreme Court
Institute offers conferences, lectures, workshops, and informal brown-bag
discussions on various Court-related matters. These
programs, which include both recent decisions and cases
pending before the Court, are broadly designed for members
of the bar, law alumni, and the general public. In addition,
each fall the Institute sponsors two annual briefings
on the Court's upcoming Term, one for the news media
and one for law school alumni.
More FAQs for Advocates
More FAQs for Students
More FAQs for Volunteer "Justices"
Contact
Information
Supreme Court Institute
Georgetown University Law Center
600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202)
662-9630
supct@law.georgetown.edu
Pamela Harris
Executive Director
Professor Steve Goldblatt and Professor Richard
Lazarus
Faculty Directors
Tina Drake Zimmerman
Deputy Director
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