September 2021
Two teams of two advocates negotiate a legal issue in front of a panel of judges. Both teams have “community information” relating to the problem and each team has “secret information” only their side knows. There are two mandatory rounds. Points are given on how well the team negotiates and accomplishes set goals, not on the relative monetary settlement. The winners move on to the ABA Regional Negotiation Competition. For more information, contact Sophia Abelson (abelson.8@osu.edu), Executive Justice of Lawyering Skills.
November 2021
The Appellate Advocacy course, which most students take in the fall of their second year, involves an appellate argument based on a current case on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals docket. Students write a brief for their client, and the experience culminates with an oral argument based on the student’s completed brief in front of a panel of judges.
Named in honor of longtime Moot Court advisor Professor Larry Herman, the Herman Competition is a continuation of the Appellate Advocacy course for students who want to compete for a spot on the next semester’s travel teams. After finishing their Appellate Advocacy argument, students will argue that case both on- and off-brief before a panel of local practitioners and judges, and are scored based on a combination of written and oral work. The competition culminates in the Final Four, where the top competitors argue head-to-head in Saxbe Auditorium before a panel of distinguished judges. For more information, For more information, contact Advocacy Skills Justices, Zac Nallen (nallen.1@osu.edu), Celina Bontigao (bontigao.1@osu.edu), or Noelle Suarez Murias (suarez-murias.1@osu.edu).
Much like the Lawrence Negotiation Competition, two teams made up of two people each (a client and an attorney) negotiate with the aid of a mediator (who is not scored) in front of a panel of judges. Both teams have “community information” relating to the problem and each team has “secret information” only their side knows. The winners move on to the ABA Regional Representation in Mediation Competition. For more information, contact Sophia Abelson (abelson.8@osu.edu), Executive Justice of Lawyering Skills.
March 2021
The 1L Competition affords first-year students the opportunity to write a short brief and perform oral arguments in front of local practitioners and judges. Working in teams of two, students using a closed universe of research write a short brief supporting one side of the argument, and then perform an oral argument in support of their side in front of a panel of judges. The winners of this competition may be asked to join the Travel Team Program in their second year. For more information, contact Justices Kate Clark (clark.2926@osu.edu), Brittany Munn (munn.37@osu.edu), or Brooke Pauley (pauley.57@osu.edu).
March 2021
The Michael F. Colley Trial Competition provides students with the opportunity to try a case in an adversarial courtroom setting. Each team consists of two attorneys and two witnesses. These teams will have the opportunity to conduct a full trial with four total witnesses, opening and closing statements, objections, and at least two judges to make rulings throughout the case and to give critiques on how the students performed. Through the generosity of the Colley family, scholarships are available to the top performers in this competition. For more information, contact Justices of Mock Trial, Caroline Barber (barber.352@osu.edu) or Hart Main (main.600@osu.edu).