Let's Talk About Moot Court

[computer]

What do you guys think of Moot Court?   Does being a Moot Court traveling team member on the resume look better than most other activities one can do during law school other than grades and law review? 

What about trial competition....how does that compare to moot court?

[Buddy Holly]

What do you guys think of Moot Court?   Does being a Moot Court traveling team member on the resume look better than most other activities one can do during law school other than grades and law review? 

What about trial competition....how does that compare to moot court?

I did Moot Court as a 1L (my school made an exception for me, which was really cool), and I think it definitely helped me land a 1L paid summer gig, especially since I was offered it without grades. BUT if you go to a top school, you will not need Moot Court, Law Review, or even "good" grades to get BIGLAW. Since this is the only experience I have, I can't say I can speak with authority on whether or not Moot Court will help you get a job.

Moot Court was fun, but I won't do it again. I don't want to litigate but I did it to try and figure out if I wanted to. Really, I'd rather take the time in a class. However, if you go to a lesser school, it might be helpful and/or necessary in order to land a top paying job.

[computer]

"However, if you go to a lesser school, it might be helpful and/or necessary in order to land a top paying job."

So, if you go to a lesser school, is it the most important thing you can do other than law review? 

What do you mean, you did moot court? Did you do a intra-school competition or did you do a inter-school competition by traveling? 

[Felsen]

Here's the priority ranking as I have heard it:
1.  Grades
2.  Law Review
3.  Moot Court
4.  Mock Trial

After this comes the other journals, clinics, etc.

Moot court is considered important as it requires research and writing skills to do well at it, and not just the verbal skills like mock trial.

[computer]

Let's define and rank Moot Court:

Participated in intra-school Moot Court and survive the first round or two, would that be considered enough to put Moot Court on resume or does one have to be in Quarter Finalist or Semi-Finalist in order to put that on resume.

Or should Moot Court really mean winning the whole intra-school competition OR making it all the way to the traveling team representing your law school and compete against other law schools?

[Felsen]

Let's define and rank Moot Court:

Participated in intra-school Moot Court and survive the first round or two, would that be considered enough to put Moot Court on resume or does one have to be in Quarter Finalist or Semi-Finalist in order to put that on resume.

Or should Moot Court really mean winning the whole intra-school competition OR making it all the way to the traveling team representing your law school and compete against other law schools?

I'm still trying to figure this one out myself.  I've decided that making it onto a school team is good enough to go on the resume, since it is presumably fairly competitive to get on.  Making it to the Quarterfinals of an intramural team is good enough to go on the resume (I've heard octofinals is good enough too, but at that point it starts sounding a bit strange).  If I didn't have enough other things to put on the resume, I might even put down a competition I just participated in but didn't do well.  It at least shows a drive and interest, since you have to do extra work to even just compete.

[computer]

Almost every firm, including big law firms say they prefer Law Review or Moot Court (once in a while, they'll mention other journal experience).  If Moot Court is so insignificant, as some seem to claim, why do they all prefer it then and mention it along with Law Review and not other activities? 

[slacker]

Genereally law review and moot court participants have to go through some sort of process to "earn" their spot. This could be an opt-in through grades (law review) or winning an intraschool competition (moot court), or it could be a write-on or competitive opt-on situation. Still, it shows that the person has demonstrated the skills and interest to be selected from the student body as a whole for one of these limited spots.

[brewha]

Let's define and rank Moot Court:

Participated in intra-school Moot Court and survive the first round or two, would that be considered enough to put Moot Court on resume or does one have to be in Quarter Finalist or Semi-Finalist in order to put that on resume.

Or should Moot Court really mean winning the whole intra-school competition OR making it all the way to the traveling team representing your law school and compete against other law schools?

I'm still trying to figure this one out myself.  I've decided that making it onto a school team is good enough to go on the resume, since it is presumably fairly competitive to get on.  Making it to the Quarterfinals of an intramural team is good enough to go on the resume (I've heard octofinals is good enough too, but at that point it starts sounding a bit strange).  If I didn't have enough other things to put on the resume, I might even put down a competition I just participated in but didn't do well.  It at least shows a drive and interest, since you have to do extra work to even just compete.

Ok.  NO.   You can't put Moot Court on your resume if you simply compete in the intra-school competition and make it to the quarterfinals or whatever.  You NEED TO BE ON THE SCHOOL TEAM.  If an interviewer asked you about the Moot Court indication on your resume and you responded with "We made it all the way to the sweet 16/elite 8 in our school"... she/he would laugh at you and politely ask you to leave to lying on your resume. 

[wakaranai]

From what I understand, it really isn't going to help unless you're on the school team. At my school, anyone can sign up, so it's not like there is any level of prestige by signing up to take a class. Not many people make the school team though, so once you make it to that point, it's time to put it on the resume.