This spring, Charleston School of Law students will visit New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Vienna, Austria to compete in moot court competitions.

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Austria is one of the premiere annual competitions for law school students. More than 300 teams participated in last year’s competition.

“I am thrilled that our students have an opportunity to argue on the world stage,” said Charleston Law Provost and Dean Larry Cunningham. “This is a great opportunity for students to sharpen their skills.”

Formed as a student organization in 2005, moot court at Charleston Law allows students to practice legal research, writing skills, and engage in oral arguments in a courtroom setting.

“The Moot Court Board has allowed me to compete on a team again at a high level through both mediums of oral advocacy and persuasive writing,” added 3L Morgan Murphy. “This opportunity has improved my litigation skills, developed my legal writing style, and increased my confidence.”

Preparing for a Moot Court enables students to work with peers and develop your legal research skills. Students will also develop critical thinking skills, build robust, persuasive arguments, and hone courtroom etiquette.

“Moot Court was an unknown to me when I tried out, yet my experience has boosted my confidence and expanded my legal knowledge as well as helping me to determine my future legal path,” noted Lori Horst.

“Moot Court has done so much more for me than I could have ever expected,” said Noah Singer (’22). “From refining my drafting skills to excelling with research, moot court has been the perfect organization for me to continue working on skills that I will need for the future.”

The Charleston School of Law will open their spring Moot Court competition on Wednesday, February 22 at the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. The full spring Moot Court schedule is available below.