Moot Court Team

The Moot Court Program is one of the Law School’s best opportunities for students to develop and refine both oral advocacy and brief-writing skills. Membership on the Moot Court Team is highly selective and is determined through the annual intramural tournament. Students selected for Moot Court membership participate in an advanced appellate brief writing course and work with other team members to prepare for intercollegiate competition.

Each tournament requires the team to research and write an appellate brief and defend it before a panel of judges in an oral argument. The Moot Court Team has enjoyed resounding success throughout these tournaments, winning special honors at both regional and national level competitions.

In addition to competing, the William & Mary Moot Court Team annually hosts the William B. Spong Jr. Invitational Moot Court Tournament, bringing competitors from law schools across the nation to argue current issues of constitutional law. Many state and federal judges participate in the Spong Tournament by serving as judges for the competition rounds. The tournament is co-sponsored by the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, which also sends representatives to serve as judges for the tournament.