Moot Court is alive! After NCFCA decided to discontinue the activity this past year, a few parents and I started the High School Moot Court Association (HSMCA) to facilitate continued Moot competition. You can find more information at our website, hsmca.org.
We started by getting a team together, and we got the best of the best. We have last year’s head of ballot admin, last year’s judge recruiter, a tournament staffer, one of the NCFCA packet writers and editors, two decorated alumni, a practicing attorney, a financial advisor, and myself on the nine-person board.
Then we filed for 501(c)(3) status, and then started doing all the small things that it takes to get a league off the ground: designing a logo; building roles and job descriptions; budgeting; planning a tournament platform; marketing; website design; designing a rulebook.
And at long last, we’re approaching the finish line of the start-up process. But getting the league off the ground is really just step one. The second step is getting students and families involved. So… why should your family be involved in Moot Court? Three reasons come to mind.
- Superior College Prep
First, it’s by far the most academically beneficial form of competitive speaking—more so than LD, more so than TP, more so than Parli. It’s not particularly close, either.
- Since students act as lawyers, the writing style is much more formal than debate, which makes Moot much better college prep than the more casual writing style of debate.
- The “evidence” available to you is Supreme Court caselaw—much more challenging reading than a Britannica article or an opinion piece in the Atlantic.
- The critical thinking and analytical requirements are also much higher because the way you win rounds is by making a better argument based on limited evidence, not by just out-researching your opponent. You learn to read more closely, not just find niche, cherry-picked articles that support your side.
- The format of the event mirrors college interviews, thesis presentations, and office hours with professors—it’s a conversation. Unlike debate, where you monologue and then hear a refutation to your monologue, Moot Court features judges interrupting your prepared material with questions. That’s better prep for real academic endeavors.
- Best Competition
But maybe, you or your student are quite ready for college already—maybe you already got your acceptance letter to your dream school. Why Moot? Because it’s the best competition you’ll have. You will love competing against the best in high-quality rounds.
- Moot is designed for high schoolers only, so there are no 12-year-old novices to compete against.
- Moot Court attracts the best competition because of the highly rigorous subject material. The qualifying tournaments feel closer to a national or regional tournament because nearly every single team at the tournament has broken in TP or LD tournaments.
And as we all know, excellence breeds excellence. The better the competition, the better each student must be in order to keep up. But don’t let the high level competition scare you if you’re in it for the fun…
- Enjoyable Format
Many people who try Moot Court say it was the best event they ever competed in—in fact, many of them go on to compete in Moot (rather than debate!) in college. Why do they think it’s so fun?
- The activity of engaging with judges during rounds—especially funny ones, and judges who ask really good questions—is unparalleled. You will never feel quite as satisfied as when you get a snarky judge ask a tough question that you absolutely nail because you’ve already prepared for that question. It’s just an incredible feeling.
- The community is amazing. Because Moot is a smaller group, there’s a lot of camaraderie over inside jokes and the rigors of preparation. Online Moot discussion groups (Google Chats, Discord servers) are very active.
- Playing a lawyer is just fun. Saying “my client,” introducing your “co-counsel,” referencing footnotes in Supreme Court dissenting opinions—there’s something sweet about pretending to be a lawyer in front of the Supreme Court.
If you’re interested in learning more about what makes HSMCA unique, watch our informational webinar (which comes with a discount code!) from a week ago: https://youtu.be/RBI7cgylIi8?si=9eDvXcjFWUEIq75v.
So if I’m interested, what’s next?
Come to camp!
Lasting Impact offers two online Moot Court camps, August 9 & 11 and August 21 & 23. Your coaches will be Blackstone Head Coach Ethan Tong, ‘23 Champion Hannah Cavanaugh (Aug 9 & 11), and ‘25 Champion Mary Crosby (Aug 21 & 23). It’s one of the most affordable camps at just $85, and we’re happy to offer scholarships if money is a barrier. Just email blackstonemoot@gmail.com with your request.
“Blackstone camps are a game-changer,” said one parent.
“The energy was immaculate, the feedback was top tier, and the way the coaches handled everything exceeded my already high expectations greatly,” said a student.
“This camp was incredibly personal. I’ve never been to a camp before where I felt comfortable enough with the coaches to turn on my mic and talk,” said another.
We’re confident you’ll come out with the same great experience, but don’t miss out—the first camp is just over a week away! https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/online-camps/
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