1. What is the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board?
2. Who may apply for the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board?
3. What are the responsibilities of Board Member?
4. What academic credit do Board Members receive?
5. What work must be accomplished during the summer?
6. May I withdraw from the Board?
7. How do I apply? / When do I interview?

Application for membership
Duties and Responsibilities of Board Members
Duties of the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Director
Duties of the Gressman Director

Please address any additional questions to Professor Barbazan, Room 425, (973) 642-8783 or call (973) 586-9885.

1. What is the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board?

The Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board is the intrascholastic moot court program whose members help to administer the Appellate Advocacy Program in the summer, fall and spring and the Eugene Gressman Appellate Moot Court Competition in the spring. 

2. Who may apply for the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board?

All students who have successfully completed the Appellate Advocacy course may apply for a position as a member of the Appellate Advocacy Moot Court Board.  Good academic standing, strong writing skills, and an ability to work with Appellate Advocacy professors and students are essential qualifications.

3. What are the responsibilities of Board Members?

Board Members are responsible for preparing an original, one-issue problem based in a fictional jurisdiction for use in the fall, spring or summer Appellate Advocacy course.  Each Board member, working in a team or individually, is responsible for selecting a topic, researching and writing a record on appeal, and researching and writing the accompanying bench memorandum.  Board members in a team will coordinate their efforts so that all work is submitted on schedule.

Board members are assigned to two or three Appellate Advocacy classes.  They must assist their professors in the capacity of a teaching assistant.  These duties include, but are not limited to, providing their professor with drafts of the problems they are writing during the summer, providing copies of the cases cited in the bench memorandum prior to the beginning of the fall, spring or summer semester (updated as necessary throughout the term) and assisting the Appellate Advocacy and Gressman Directors.

Board members are responsible for ensuring that the graded rounds of oral argument in their classes have a full complement of judges.  Board members must recruit and provide the Appellate Advocacy Director with the names/addresses of a sufficient number of attorneys for oral arguments.  Board members must be available personally to "judge" practice rounds of oral argument and must attend both days of the graded rounds of oral argument.  Board members will assist with summer Appellate Advocacy classes and with the spring classes, if any.

In the spring semester, Board members, in addition to helping with any spring Appellate Advocacy classes, help organize the Gressman Appellate Moot Court Competition, score briefs in the Competition, act as bailiffs at oral argument rounds, join prominent judges for dinner after the final round, and otherwise assist the Gressman Director. Additionally, the Board will meet periodically during the year with the Faculty Advisor, Professor Carmen Barbazan, and with the student directors. After the Board is selected, the Faculty Advisor will choose an Appellate Advocacy Director and a Gressman Director. You should advise us on your application if you are interested in one of the director positions. Please note that each of these positions entail a great deal of work; therefore, you should only apply if you will not be working during the semester when you would act as director. If you are interested in one of these positions, we suggest you speak to the current Directors to get an accurate account of what the position entails prior to coming to the interview.

4. What academic credit do Board Members receive?

Each Board member will receive two academic credits, both awarded in the spring. The Appellate Advocacy Director receives two credits in the fall and one in the spring. The Gressman Director receives one credit in the fall and two in the spring.

5. What work must be accomplished during the summer?

Each Board member must prepare an original record on appeal and bench memorandum during the summer. Board members work with the Faculty Advisor and the professors of their assigned Appellate Advocacy classes to prepare outlines, drafts, and final versions of their problems, and must supply these written documents, as well as other relevant materials, in accordance with a defined schedule. In addition, Board Members are asked to assist with the Appellate Advocacy classes that meet during the summer.

6. May I withdraw from the Board?

All Board members are expected to fulfill all the requirements of being a Moot Court Board member, and barring extraordinary circumstances, may not withdraw.

7. How do I apply? / When do I interview?

In a sealed envelope, return the attached application, together with a cover letter stating why you would like to be considered for membership on the Moot Court Board, a resume, and a writing sample to the mail holder next to Professor Barbazan's door (Room 425).

An interview schedule will be posted on the second floor Appellate Advocacy bulletin board. You will need to sign up for an interview time. Please check the Appellate Advocacy Bulletin Board on the second floor for the interview schedule sign-up sheet. Interviews will take place in the office of Carmen Barbazan (rm 425).