Cal Poly Moot Court welcomes students interested in pre-law and oral advocacy to join them for the 2024-2025 academic year. Combining constitutional law with Supreme Court cases, Moot Court offers students interested in law school or learning more about real-world issues an ideal platform.
The club, currently in its second year, argues cases ranging from privacy law to contraceptives based on Supreme Court precedent.
“We’re in our second year, going into our third,” Noa Tuliau, Moot Court president and political science senior, said. “Our main competition season is in the fall, and over the summer we have a virtual “mootcamp” to read over the case and discuss it as a team.”
The American Moot Court Association (AMCA) releases a summary of key legal facts and a new fictional case every year, and collegiate teams compete in both oral and written advocacy based around the case.
Students engaging in written advocacy send their written briefs to AMCA’s national brief writing competition, where they will be graded by a panel of judges for the chance to win awards and even a scholarship.
David Vuksanovic, the vice president of Moot Court and a political science freshman, focuses primarily on written arguments, but is hoping to give oral argumentation a chance as well.
“I really got to practice my writing skills, [but] I want to give both [oral and written arguments] a try,” he said.
For those competing in oral advocacy, teams of two students argue a “moot point” in front of a panel of judges, who can ask questions at any time.
“This year’s case dealt with privacy rights relating to contraception use,” Tuliau said.
Tuliau first joined Moot Court two years ago when he wanted to get involved in an academic club after the pandemic.
“Constitutional law has always interested me,” Tuliau said. “And I just felt like I hadn’t gotten a chance to be involved at all, so it was kind of a perfect storm of things that [led me] to Moot Court.”
Tuliau said he felt his involvement in Moot Court has made him more prepared to attend law school.
“When it comes to learning about constitutional law, you have an advantage for law school because you can talk to a panel of judges and really think on your feet,” he added.
Chloe Keely, an english sophomore and treasurer of Moot Court, said they “want to be a lawyer one day,” and joined Moot Court as a way to get involved with law on campus.
“The subject matter is fascinating. You get to take all these contemporary cases and really contextualize them through real Supreme Court decisions that lead to the discussions we are having [in Moot Court],” Keely said.
Hannah Momtaz, a political science freshman, recently joined Moot Court to similarly gain more real world experience.
“I was really interested in getting involved with a club that will prepare me for my endeavors as a lawyer,” Momtaz said. “Getting to portray myself as a lawyer in the college setting excites me for what is to come in law school and my career.”
Looking to the club’s future direction, president-elect and political science sophomore, Lisette Barron has plans to expand their roster of members and strengthen the program.
“I’m really excited to grow the club, especially through freshman events like Open House and Club Fair,” Barron said. “I’m also looking forward to building a competitive team of new students.”
For students looking to join Cal Poly Moot Court, meetings are held on Mondays in Alan E. Earhart Agriculture (Bldg 10) at 8 p.m.
“It’s gonna be a great season for oral arguments,” Barron said. “And anyone interested in joining [Moot Court] should come and see what we’re about. Whether you’re thinking about law school or just like to argue, we would love to have you on our team.”