How to Join Moot Court

Students who wish to compete in Moot Court must be registered in the class POLS 3070: Moot Court

Course Description

• This is a three-credit, face-to-face, graded course designed to help students develop public speaking and analytical skills, while also gaining a solid understanding of constitutional law. This course is taught during fall semester every year by Dr. Gary Johnson, who is the coach for Moot Court as well as a professor of political science at WSU.
• Class sessions include discussion of Supreme Court and other appellate court cases, brainstorming to develop arguments, workshops on public speaking and presentation style, and practice rounds where students present arguments, respond to questions, critique one another’s performance, and receive feedback on their speaking and argumentation from professors.
• This is a face-to-face course, and punctual attendance is required. Because there is limited time between the start of the semester in late August and the competition in November, we’ll need to meet regularly to prepare.
• Meetings will take place every Tuesday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Lindquist Hall Room 135
• Students will prepare to compete in an undergraduate Moot Court tournament, typically held in San Francisco, California, in late November. Travel to the competition will depend on how many teams we are able to form.
• Top-performing teams at the regional level (usually the top 8–10) will advance to the National competition.