A Short & Happy Guide to Moot Court (Short & Happy Guides)

A Short & Happy Guide to Moot Court (Short & Happy Guides)

What do John Marshall, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sandra Day O’Connor, William Rehnquist, Robert Shapiro, Joe Biden, Ted Cruz, Alvin Bragg, and legislator and former child star Sheila Kuehl all have in common? They were all “mooties”! Prominent lawyers and leaders throughout U.S. history have built their advocacy skills through moot court. Indeed, competing in moot court can be one of the most fun and educational experiences of your law school career, and this book is designed to ensure you make the most of it. Whether you participate on a well-established team with an experienced coach or strike out on your own with a teammate, the Short & Happy Guide to Moot Court provides an easy-to-navigate roadmap to moot court success. Drawing on the author’s years of experience as a litigator, legal-writing professor, and moot court coach (and former moot court participant), the Guide begins by helping you decide whether moot court is right for you (spoiler: yes!), outlining the variety of skills you will develop, and debunking some moot-court myths. The heart of the Guide then delivers insider tips on everything from collaboratively writing an appellate brief to preparing for oral argument to navigating the vagaries of the competition experience to marketing your moot-court-earned skills to your law school and future employers. Along the way, you will glean kernels of wisdom from past moot-court competitors and hear true tales from the trenches of competition. Perfect for any current or aspiring law student, the Guide is designed to be a lively and engaging orientation to the moot court universe and fundamentals of appellate practice.