Academic Competitions
Moot Court, Mock Trial and Negotiation
Students at the UNM School of Law have many opportunities to hone writing and oral advocacy skills outside of the classroom in a variety of academic competitions.
Moot Court
Moot court competitions expose participants to the appeals process. Students are presented with a legal problem and a set of facts. Paired participants write a brief in support of one side or the other and then argue the case before a panel consisting of judges, attorneys and law professors. The many benefits that come from participating in a moot court competition include:
- Development of appellate advocacy and litigation skills;
- Conduct in-depth research and preparation of arguments on both sides of a case;
- Learn to "think on your feet";
- Honing legal analysis and persuasive speech skills;
- Excellent experience to have on a resume for job search.
Mock Trial
Students interested in becoming a trial lawyer are encouraged to try out for the National Mock Trial competition. Participants learn how to prepare witnesses for trial, develop their style in direct and cross-examination and conduct opening statements and closing arguments to a jury.
For more details regarding academic credit, selection of participants and reimbursement of expenses, go to the UNM Law School Bulletin & Handbook of Policies.
Note: Repeating a competition - Law Students who have received credit for participating in an interscholastic competition will not be allowed to participate for credit in the same competition in subsequent years.
Competition Descriptions
To view competition course descriptions please visit the UNM School of Law Course Descriptions page.
