Moot Court/ Board of Advocates

The Board of Advocates (BOA) is a student organization that strives to foster a spirit of appreciation and enthusiasm for the art and skill of superior client advocacy in the practice of law.  The BOA facilitates and oversees nine moot court appellate advocacy competitions as well as competitions for negotiations, client counseling and trial advocacy (mock trial).  It is a rapidly growing program that has already achieved notable success and currently involves more than fifty law students as competitors and/or student coaches.  Participant selection is a highly competitive process, and those who succeed win the right to represent the University of St. Thomas School of Law in competitions with other ABA accredited law schools throughout the United States as well as with law schools from around the world.

The experiential activities promoted by the USTL Board of Advocates provide unique opportunities for practical application of many concepts and theories integral to legal education.  Each moot court experience requires participants to demonstrate both written and oral advocacy skills in areas of practice including, but not limited to, constitutional law, intellectual property, civil rights and international law.  The negotiation competition simulates legal negotiations in which law students, acting as lawyers, identify legal and factual issues, develop strategies and negotiate a series of problems.  The client counseling competition simulates a law office consultation in which law students, acting as attorneys, analyze the complexities of substance and procedure in the preparation and execution of a client interview, and upon completion, explain to a panel of experienced practitioners how they would then proceed.  The annual trial advocacy competition provides an excellent opportunity to develop and practice actual trial skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench.