The last time Nationals was held at Anderson University was 2019, my senior year. That year, my Moot partner and I had aspirations of making the final round. We had fully memorized our speeches and were the top seed at a previous National Open.
But when breaks were announced, the team of EJ Rorem and Ethan Tong wasn’t announced. As we’d later find out, we went 3-5 (there used to be 4 rounds with 2 judges each). Though we both got Oral Advocate awards later that week, it was a small consolation. We wanted to be in finals. And that was our last chance… (Keep reading to find out what I learned at Moot Court Nationals and why you should try Moot…)
This last week, I had the honor of watching my students Gabe Zylstra and Josh Rush hoist the first-place trophy. They’re the first team I’ve coached to win Nationals (last year, Christian Park and Luke Spencer made the final round, but lost). And as icing on the cake, Gabe and Josh were facing another one of my teams, Simon Brandt and Cooper Cobbs, in finals! Call me biased, but I think it was the best finals round in recent memory. Typically, the questions are so difficult in finals that listeners feel that “the judges won.” Not this time. All four competitors cleanly and thoroughly answered every question thrown their way.
But Moot in person took a bit of adjusting. We had the rooms reversed (the audience is supposed to face the judge, not the competitors) before round 1. We had questions about clerk roles and the script competitors were required to use. And we had to adjust to the fact that the judges could actually see if you were reading from your script (no more hiding behind a screen!).
Nevertheless, all competitors stood up to the challenge. I heard many students express that they finally understood how fun Moot Court was once they competed in person. It’s so much fun to be able to interact with a judge without virtual barriers, audio issues, or muting/unmuting troubles. In person, with the decorum and the “all rise” calls by the clerk, you can see how it simulates oral argument before the Supreme Court. It’s just real.
But as the tournament revealed, there’s always room for growth, as all of the teams would tell you. Moot pushes you to be the best speaker and thinker you possibly can be. You pore over just a few sentences in the record, just a few sentences in caselaw––just to know how to respond to a possible judge question. But there’s always another vantage point you hadn’t considered, a footnote you overlooked. There’s always a few more filler words you can eliminate from your vocabulary.
And that’s why it’s the favorite activity for many students. Because it’s not an easy win that stems from finding the perfect case for TP or the perfect study for LD. It takes hard work, close reading, and critical thinking.
This next year is going to be a blast. Based on preliminary interest, there will be significantly more competitors and more slots to Nationals than in prior years. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. And if you’re still on the fence, how about signing up for Lasting Impact!’s two-day camp to see what all the hype is about? Sign Up for Online Moot Court Camp NOW! https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/online-camps/ Ethan will also be at a variety of Lasting Impact! in person camps this summer… check them out HERE – https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/camps/
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