Academic Competitions
Students at the UNM School of Law have many opportunities to hone writing, oral advocacy, and other practice skills outside of the classroom in a variety of academic competitions, including moot courts, mock trials, negotiation competition, and tax practice competition.
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:
- Developing appellate advocacy and litigation skills;
- Conducting in-depth research and preparing arguments on both sides of a case;
- Learning to "think on your feet";
- Honing legal analysis and persuasive speech skills;
- Having an excellent experience to include on a resume for job searching.
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.
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.
For more details regarding academic credit, selection of participants, and reimbursement of expenses, please see the UNM Law School Bulletin & Handbook of Policies.
Funding
Students participating in a moot court, mock trial, or practice skills competition for credit receive a stipend to offset the costs of travel to an in-person competititon. Stipends may not cover all expenses. Except in rare circumstances, students may only receive one stipend per their law school career. To check the amount of the potential stipend and their eligibility, students should consult with the Financial Aid Officer before joining a team.
Competition Descriptions
To view all other competition course descriptions, visit the UNM School of Law Course Descriptions page.
Fall 2026
ABA Law Student Tax Challenge
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
The Law Student Tax Challenge (LSTC) is organized by the Young Lawyers Forum of the ABA Section on Taxation. The LSTC asks two-person teams of students to solve a complex business problem that might arise in everyday tax practice. Teams are initially evaluated on two criteria: 1) a memorandum to a senior partner and 2) a letter to a client explaining the result. Based on the written work product, six teams receive a free trip to the Section’s Midyear Meeting, where each team presents its submission before a panel of judges consisting of the country’s top tax practitioners and government officials, including tax court judges. The competition is a great way for law students to showcase their knowledge in a real-world setting and gain valuable exposure to the tax law community.
Web Site
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/taxation/awards/law_student_tax_challenge/
Eligibility and Team Size
Number of participants allowed to represent UNM teams of 2.
Rules and Deadlines:
The rules are at this link https://www.americanbar.org/groups/taxation/awards/law_student_tax_challenge/
The problem is usually released in early September with a deadline submission in early November. For current year deadlines, check the above link at the end of summer.
ABA Negotiations Moot Court Competition
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
The ABA Law Student Division Negotiation Competition promotes greater interest among law students in legal negotiation and provides a means for them to practice and improve their negotiating skills. The competition simulates legal negotiations in which law students, acting as lawyers, negotiate a series of legal problems. The simulations consist of a common set of facts known by all participants and confidential information known only to the participants representing a particular side. All the simulations in the competition stay within the area of law chosen for the year; the negotiation situations vary with each round and level of the competition adding additional facts.
Web Site
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_students/events/competitions/negotiation/
Coach
Bridget Hazen and Dathan Weems
Eligibility and Team Size
2L and 3L students only. Team members are required to be ABA student members. There will be up to two teams of two students.
Be a Better Negotiator - Join the Negotiation Team - Friday Deadline!
Earn a credit hour while refining your skills! Join the ABA Negotiation Competition Team!
Interested? Submit a simple letter of interest and a resume by Friday, August 29, at 6:00 PM. Interviews will be scheduled the following week at the law school.
More about the letter of interest:
- Please email your letter to dathan@weemshazenlaw.com and bridget@weemshazen law.com.
- We need to know a little bit about you, your interest in negotiation, and what you bring to the team. Include in this letter a candid assessment of your ability to meet during weekdays, weekday evenings, and weekends. This is not a writing competition so do not overwork this letter. The letter should be about one page and not more than two pages.
- Do not overwork your letter.
- The competition will be over one weekend in October, TBD. Probably the weekends of October 17-19, 24-26 or maybe Oct 31 to November 2.
- You have to be able to travel to the competition.
- We will practice twice per week beginning immediately. We will be flexible around the team members' other obligations.
- We are serious about making the most of your time and ours. Plan to work hard (but not unreasonably so).
Kelly Invitational Trial Competition
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
Competition Description:
The Judge Paul Joseph Kelly, Jr. Invitational Trial Competition is hosted by Fordham University School of Law. Teams consist of two students who prepare both sides of a federal criminal problem. Each team will advocate both sides of the case at least once. The advocate who delivers the opening statement for the prosecution will deliver the closing argument for the defense, and the advocate who delivers the closing argument for the prosecution will deliver the opening argument for the defense.
Number of Participants allowed to represent UNM:
Teams of two students
Rules and Deadlines:
Check the website to see updates to competition dates. It is anticipated that dates will be in a similar timeframe.
National Health Law Moot Court
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
https://law.siu.edu/programs/moot-court/health-law-competition.php
Competition Description The National Health Law Moot Court Competition is one of the premier moot court experiences in the nation. The competition is scheduled to be IN PERSON, dates change per year (see website for dates). Southern Illinois University School of Law, along with supporting sponsors the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Health Law Association, hosts this competition annually at Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, Illinois. This prestigious competition attracts teams representing law schools from throughout the country.
Number of participants allowed to represent UNM:
Up to two teams of three students.
Rules:
The record and the rules will be available and posted on the competition website.
Coach:
Cassandra Malone
More about the letter of interest:
To apply, please submit a letter of interest no later than August 4 to Cassandra Malone at crm@jkwlawyers.com
Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition(TMMCC)
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
The Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition is sponsored by the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) and is open to 2L and 3L students. It takes place primarily during the Fall semester. Over the course of approximately 3 months team members will learn about appellate process and appellate brief writing, and each two-person team will complete one appellate brief involving complex issues of Federal and Constitutional law. The students will then have the opportunity to present their arguments orally to judicial panels at the Regional Competition with the possibility of advancing to the National Competition.
The oral competitions take place during the Spring semester.
This competition requires that participating students have been a member of both their local BLSA chapter and of NBLSA during the academic semester prior to the one in which they register as competitors.
Please contact coach Sara Thompson at srthompson@cabq.gov for more information.
Spring 2027
ABA Client Counseling
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
forthcoming
Website:
Coaches: Bridget Devlin
More about the letter of interest:forthcoming
Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description: The National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition is an annual inter-law school appellate moot court competition sponsored by Pace University School of Law. The number of teams typically ranges from 65 to 75 teams. The purpose of the competition is to develop expertise in environmental law appellate advocacy. The annual problem typically involves three parties: industry, government and an environmental protection group, and includes a variety of environmental law statutory issues, administrative law issues and common law claims.
Website:https://law.pace.edu/nelmcc
Coaches: Samantha Ruscavage Barz and Deana Bennett
Students who are eligible:
2L and 3L students only
Dates and timeline overview:
Each team will write a brief for one of the respective party’s legal argument. The problem typically arrives at the end of September and the brief is due around the first part of December. Each team will participate in oral argument (as one of three adverse parties). The competition takes place around the third week of February at Pace Law School in White Plains, NY.
Registration is limited to one team per school, two or three students on the team. Information is on the website provided above.
What to expect:
The issues in this specialized area are generally technically and legally complex and involve three distinct interest groups. The time commitment is substantial. The brief, due the first part of December, cannot have any participation or input by anyone other than the team members. There will be at least 10 practice oral argument sessions, lasting about two hours each. Because attorneys volunteer for these sessions, they will often be held at night or on weekends. In January and during the first two weeks in February, students can expect three practice sessions per week.
National Mock Trial Competition
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description:
forthcoming
Website:
Coaches: forthcoming
More about the letter of interest:forthcoming
National Native American Moot Court Competition (NNALSA)
Course Type:Competition
Family:Competition
Description: The purpose of the NNALSA Moot Court Competition is to create opportunities to promote the objectives of the NNALSA Mission Statement, actively encourage the development of the oral advocacy and brief-writing skills of NNALSA members, as well as enhance substantive knowledge in the fields of federal Indian law, tribal law, and traditional forms of governance. UNM teams have participated in the National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition since its inception in 1993. Teams of two submit their brief and engage in oral arguments on a current issue involving indigenous peoples in the United States. The school has a very strong record with teams arguing successfully and individual students winning distinguished orator awards.
Website:
Coaches: Jesse Heibel and Justin Solimon
Students who are eligible:
2L and 3L students
What to expect:
Students should expect to dedicate some time over Christmas break to meet with his/her teammate and prepare a brief. It is important to keep momentum and complete most of the research and analysis before classes start in January. Weekly or biweekly sessions in January and February will follow, with additional Saturday practices for two weeks before the competition. Be prepared for several practice oral arguments per week during January and February.
Williams Institute Moot Court
Course Type: Competition
Family: Competition
Description:
Judges Katherine Wray & David Murphy are seeking students to form a team or teams to participate in the UCLA Williams Institute Moot Court Competition. The Williams Moot Court competition provides an opportunity for students to write briefs and argue a case related to issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. UNM School of Law has sent teams to compete since 2010. This Moot Court will afford students the chance to meet and make arguments in front of a number of experienced local attorneys and judges.
Competition details are forthcoming, but participants can expect to work on their briefs from December through February, participate in 2-3 oral arguments a week in February and March, and the competition will be in Los Angeles in March. Some competition information can be found here: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/programs/moot-court-competition/about-moot-court/
Website: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/moot-court-competition/
Coaches: Judge Katherine A. Wray and Judge David Murph
More about the letter of interest: To apply, please submit a letter of interest no later than October 16 to Alejandra Gallegos at agallegos@law.unm.edu.
