University of Richmond
T.C. Williams School of Law
Moot Court By-Laws
As amended April 1, 2008.
Table of Contents
(Click the link to go directly to that section.)
I. Executive
Board
a. The
Executive Board of the Moot Court Board (“the Executive Board”)
will consist of the following officers:
i. President. The
President shall:
1. be
the senior representative and spokesperson for the Moot Court Board (“the
Board”);
2. serve
as a point of contact of contact between the Board and the University of Richmond
School of Law (“the Law School”);
3. schedule
and preside over all general Moot Court Board meetings;
4. schedule
and preside over all Executive Board meetings;
5. supervise
all committees and appoint committee chairs;
6. administer
strikes to Board members who fail to complete any of their obligations; and
7. perform
all functions necessary and proper to the Moot Court Board that are not provided
for herein.
ii. Vice
President. The Vice President shall:
1. act
for the President either when called to do so, or when the President is unable
to fulfill such duties; and
2. write
the problem for each intra-scholastic competition.
iii. Secretary. The
Secretary shall:
1. maintain
all personnel records for the Moot Court Board, including:
a. Board
members’ standing; and
b. new
member invitations;
2. oversee
the Strike Appeals Board;
3. maintain
all correspondence within the Moot Court Board;
4. maintain
the Moot Court Bulletin Board and Notice Board;
5. publicize
Moot Court Board events; and
6. act
as prosecutor on behalf of the Moot Court Board in any Strike Appeal hearing.
iv. Treasurer. The
Treasurer shall:
1. maintain
all financial records for the Moot Court Board;
2. handle
the distribution of all funds;
3. submit
a budget plan at the beginning of each term;
4. submit
regular financial statements to the President; and
5. supervise
the fund-raising committee.
v. Intra-scholastic
Competitions Chair (Oral). The Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Oral)
shall:
1. assist
the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Written) in scheduling dates and
times for the Barnett and Carrico Competitions;
2. supervise
all aspects of the oral argument portions of the Barnett and Carrico competitions;
3. supervise
the Judges Committee; and
4. assist
the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Written) in overseeing all committees
involved in the Barnett and Carrico competitions.
vi. Intra-Scholastic
Competitions Chair (Written). The Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair
(Written) shall:
1. assist
the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Oral) in scheduling dates and times
for the Barnett and Carrico Competitions;
2. supervise
all aspects of the written portions of the Barnett and Carrico competitions;
3. write
the “Bench Brief” for all intra-scholastic competitions;
4. oversee
the Brief Grading Committee; and
5. assist
the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Oral) in overseeing all committees
involved in the Barnett and Carrico competitions.
vii. Inter-scholastic
Competitions Chair. The Inter-scholastic Competitions Chair shall:
1. determine
eligibility to compete in inter-scholastic competitions;
2. assist
the Jessup Moot Court team in determining eligibility to compete in the Jessup
Moot Court Competition;
3. notify
Board members of competitions;
4. notify
Board members who have qualified for one of the National Teams;
5. maintain
communication with schools or outside organizations handling these competitions;
6. coordinate
possible Richmond invitationals;
7. supervise
mootings for competing teams and submit a list of members earning academic
credit to the Dean’s Office; and
8. obtain
coaches for all inter-scholastic teams.
b. Removal
of Executive Board Members. Any member of the Executive Board may be
removed from the Executive Board for failure to execute their obligations
as defined in these by-laws on motion by any member of the Executive Board
and second by a different member of the Executive Board. An Executive
Board member shall be removed from his or her office upon a unanimous vote
of all members of the Executive Board, exclusive of the Executive Board member
against whom the initial motion was made. The President shall oversee
the procedure to remove an Executive Board member. In the event that
the initial motion was made against the President, the Vice-President shall
oversee the procedure to remove the President.
II. Committees
and Internal Boards
a. The
Committees and Boards shall consist of, but not be limited to, the following:
i. Strike
Appeals Board. The Strike Appeals Board shall consist of three (3) members.
1. Duties. The
Strike Appeals Board shall:
a. hear
appeals from Board Members who have received strikes against them.
Such hearings shall take place no more than fifteen (15) days after notification
that a Board Member seeks an appeal; and
b. determine
whether there was good cause for not attending a Board Meeting or performing
an assigned Moot Court duty;
2. The
Board Member seeking an appeal must notify the Strike Appeals Board within
five (5) days of receiving a strike, and shall act either pro se or
with the aid of another Moot Court Board member at the appeal. The
Secretary shall act as the prosecutor on behalf of the Moot Court Board.
3. The
decision of the Strike Appeals Board may be overturned only by a two-thirds
(2/3) vote of the entire Moot Court Board at the very next meeting.
4. The
decision of the Strike Appeals Board, unless appealed to the entire Moot Court
Board, shall be confidential.
ii. Bailiff
Committee.
1. The
Bailiff Committee shall be responsible for organizing and scheduling members
of the Moot Court Board to serve as bailiffs.
2. The
Bailiff Committee Chairpersons shall serve as Bailiff Captains for each round
of the competitions. Bailiff Captains shall:
a. make
sure that Bailiffs greet their judges;
b. find
substitutes in case of bailiff absences;
c. be
responsible for obtaining judicial robes when needed, score sheets, and name
tags;
d. maintain
all information necessary for bailiff packages; and
e. inform
all bailiffs as to their duties and responsibilities.
3. All
Moot Court Board members shall serve as bailiffs. Executive Board Members,
not including the President, Intra-scholastic Chair (Oral), Intra-scholastic
Chair (Written), and Treasurer, shall serve as bailiffs. Bailiffs shall:
a. be
professionally dressed;
b. greet
their judges;
c. set
up the room for competitors and judges; and
d. return
the score cards to the Bailiff Captain on duty.
iii. Brief
Grading Committee. The Brief Grading Committee shall be responsible
for grading the briefs submitted by competitors.
iv. By-Laws
Revision Committee. The By-laws Revision Committee shall be responsible
for reviewing and revising the By-laws. This committee shall be an ad hoc
committee and need not be created if the Officers and Executive Board are
satisfied with the current By-laws.
1. If
the By-laws are revised by the By-laws Revision Committee, they shall first
be accepted by the Officers and Executive Board by a two-thirds (2/3) vote. They
must then be ratified by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Board Members present
at a Special Moot Court Board meeting.
v. Competitions
Committee. The Competitions Committee shall:
1. explore
the possibility of hosting an inter-scholastic competition at the University
of Richmond. All findings shall be reported to the Interscholastic Competitions
Chairperson who will then discuss it with the President.
vi. Fund-Raising
Committee. The Fund-Raising Committee shall:
1. coordinate
with the Treasurer to determine necessary funds for the upcoming year; and
2. create
and implement a plan to raise funds to fulfill the budgetary needs.
vii. Judges
Committee. The Judges Committee shall:
1. be
responsible for scheduling judges, all of whom must be members of the Virginia
State Bar or student judges who have obtained individual or team recognition
at an inter-scholastic competition, for each round of all competitions run
by the Moot Court Board;
2. be
responsible for mailing all communication sent to the judges, including, but
not limited to, information, thank-you letters, and any other necessary information;
3. keep
and maintain an updated master list of previous judges.
viii. Mooting
Committee
1. The
Mooting Committee shall:
a. solicit
law professors, attorneys, or judges to moot Board members participating in
an inter-scholastic competition, and place a list of such people in the Moot
Court office or on the Moot Court board in the Down Under;
b. solicit
law professors interested in coaching an inter-scholastic team, and place
a list of such individuals in the Moot Court office or on the Moot Court board
in the Down Under;
c. inform
potential mooters or coaches or their duties and responsibilities to Board
Members; and
d. inform
inter-scholastic competitors of their responsibility to moot at least four
(4) times, or for a total of ten (10) hours, whichever is greater, to receive
a Moot Court credit.
2. The
Mooting Committee shall be an ad hoc committee whose necessity shall
be determined by the Inter-scholastic Chair.
b. Committee
Activation Procedures
i. Committee
Chairs Appointment
1. The
President will recommend each chair to the Executive Board for a vote.
2. Each
chair must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board, not including
the President. The President will vote in the event of a tie.
ii. All
Board Members, except Executive Board Members or Committee Chairs, shall volunteer
for at least two (2) committees. At the discretion of the Executive
Board, committee chairs may be required to participate in committees.
iii. Committees
will be filled at the first Board meeting of each semester.
The secretary will ensure that all non-exempted members are placed in at
least two (2) committees.
iv. The
Secretary reserves the right to place members in a committee if such members
do not volunteer for a committee, or if the needs of the committee warrant
such action.
III. Officer
and Executive Board Nominations
a. Nominations
i. Nominations
shall be made at the Moot Court Board meeting in November.
ii. Each
candidate must be nominated by at least one (1) Board member, be seconded
by at least one (1) Board member, and accept that nomination before becoming
a candidate for an office.
iii. Elections
shall be held at the next Board meeting.
b. Voting
i. All
candidates shall be allowed to speak for up to five (5) minutes.
ii. Voting
shall be by secret ballot, to be counted by the out-going Executive Board. Winners
of each office shall be officially announced by the out-going Secretary.
iii. The
winner for each office shall be determined by a majority of the votes.
iv. In
the event of a tie, there will be a run-off election between only those candidates
who tied. The winner shall be determined by a majority of the votes.
v. Any
candidate, upon losing the election for the original office sought, may proclaim
himself or herself a candidate for any lower office with a nomination.
vi. The
newly-elected officers will take office at the first Moot Court Board meeting
in January.
c. Vacant
Offices
i. In
the event that the President is removed from his or her position or resigns
his or her position, the Vice-President shall take over the position of President.
ii. In
the event that any Executive Board Member, except the President, is removed
or resigns from his or her position, the President shall call a special meeting
of the Moot Court Board to accept nominations to fill the vacant position. For
all vacant positions except the President, the procedure to fill the vacant
position shall proceed as outlined in Article III, Sections a and b.
IV. Moot
Court Board Eligibility and Requirements
a. Eligibility
i. First-year
Students
1. The
Moot Court Board shall accept at least eight (8) first-year students every
year.
2. To
gain membership on the Moot Court Board, first-year students must compete
in the Barnett Moot Court competition, unless otherwise specified herein.
3. The
eight (8) first-year students reaching the quarter-final round (the
“Board Round”) shall be extended an invitation to join the Moot
Court Board.
When necessary to take more than eight (8) first-year students, the competitors
in the round prior to the quarter-final round shall be eligible for membership
(the octo-final round shall then be the Board Round).
4. The
Secretary shall write a letter to those students inviting them to join the
Moot Court Board. The invited first-year students shall have seven (7)
days to respond and accept the invitation. Failure to respond is equivalent
to and shall have the same effect as declining the invitation.
5. In
the event that a first-year student declines the invitation, an invitation
shall be extended to the competitor with the next highest combined brief and
oral argument score from the round immediately preceding the Board Round.
ii. Second-year
Students
1. The
Moot Court Board shall accept at least sixteen (16) second-year students every
year, exclusive of Board Members competing.
2. To
gain membership on the Moot Court Board, second-year students must compete
in the Carrico Moot Court Competition, unless otherwise specified herein.
3. The
top sixteen (16) second-year students competing in the Carrico Moot Court
Competition, based upon his or her combined brief and oral argument score,
shall be extended an invitation to join the Moot Court Board.
4. The
Secretary shall write a letter to those students inviting them to join the
Board. The invited second-year students shall have seven (7) days to
respond and accept the invitation. Failure to respond is equivalent
to and shall have the same effect as declining the invitation.
5. In
the event that a second-year student declines the invitation, an invitation
shall be extended to the competitor with the next highest combined brief and
oral argument score.
6. For
the purposes of this section, a second-year student is student who has completed
at least two (2) semesters of law school, whether at the University o f Richmond
or another accredited institution, not including summer school.
b. Membership
Requirements
i. All
Board Members must be in good academic standing.
ii. Board
Activities
1. All
Board Members must be members of at least two (2) committees in accordance
with the provision in Article II, Section B.
2. All
Board Members must acts as bailiffs for the Barnett and Carrico Moot Court
Competitions in accordance with the plan established by the Bailiff Committee
Chair.
3. All
Board Members must be present for all Board meetings.
iii. Strike
Policy
1. In
the event that a Board Member is not present for a meeting without prior permission
from the President, or fails to perform as assigned duty, that member will
receive a strike.
2. Any
member receiving a total of three (3) strikes throughout their membership
on the Moot Court Board will be removed from the Board for a lack of interest
in its activities and welfare.
iv. Inter-scholastic
Competitions
1. All
Board members are eligible to compete on behalf of the University of Richmond
School of Law in inter-scholastic competitions.
2. All
Board members, as a requirement of membership, shall volunteer for at least
one (1) inter-scholastic competition sponsored by the Moot Court Board per
semester with the full intention of accepting an invitation to compete on
behalf of the Moot Court Board. For the purposes of this requirement, “per
semester” means per each full semester that any individual is a member
of the Board. Any member who has competed in an inter-scholastic competition
sponsored by the Moot Court Board shall be relieved of this requirement for
the duration of their membership on the Board.
V. Inter-scholastic
Competitions
a. Inter-scholastic
competitors shall be determined by the Inter-scholastic Competitions Chair,
with the advice and consent of the Executive Board and the Moot Court Board
faculty advisor. Participation in inter-scholastic competitions shall
not be limited only to members of the Board.
b. Board
members who wish to compete shall submit a timely and complete application
to the Inter-scholastic Competitions Chair.
c. Board
members who compete in such inter-scholastic competitions shall receive one
(1) credit for Moot Court if they fulfill all the necessary requirements as
set forth in these by-laws and any regulations from the Office of the Dean
of the Law School.
i. Non-Board
members who compete in an inter-scholastic competition sponsored by the Moot
Court Board may receive credit at the discretion of the Office of the Dean
of the Law School. The Moot Court Board will support any such request
provided the non-Board participants fulfilled the requirements set forth in
these by-laws for Board members.
d. All
inter-scholastic competitions competitors shall, with the Inter-scholastic
Competitions Chair and Mooting Committee Chairperson, seek a faculty coach
to aid in their preparation within the guidelines of the particular competitions,
including mootings and brief reviews.
e. Any
person who competes in an inter-scholastic competition sponsored by the Moot
Court Board shall be eligible for membership on the Board. Any non-Board
member who competes may submit his or her score sheets from the competition,
or any reasonably-available equivalent, to the Inter-Scholastic Chair, who
shall present them to the Executive Board. The non-Board member may
also create a summary of their involvement, effort, and achievements to aid
the Executive Board in their decision. The Executive Board may, after
consultation with the Executive Board member who viewed the mootings, discussion
with the coach of the non-Board member, or any other information gathering
the Executive Board deems necessary and prudent, offer membership to any non-Board
member who competed in an inter-scholastic competition sponsored by the Board. No
offer of membership shall be made unless supported by five (5) members of
the Executive Board.
f. Jessup
International Law Moot Court Competition
i. The
Board shall sponsor a team to attend the International Law Students Association’s
annual Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
ii. Membership
on the team shall be comprised as follows:
1. Any
student who has previously competed on the Jessup team shall be given preference
above all others;
2. Moot
Court Board members are given preference above non-Board members, but not
over non-Board members who have previously competed on the Jessup team; and
3. Non-Board
members who have not previously competed on the Jessup team shall fill any
remaining vacancies. These students shall be required to apply to the
Jessup team by means of a written submission and interview. The Jessup
Selection Board, comprised of returning Jessup team members, the Jessup coach,
the President of Board, and the Inter-scholastic Chair of the Board, shall
oversee this application process and select any remaining Jessup members who
have not been given preference.
g. Requirements
i. Any
team selected to compete in an inter-scholastic competition sponsored by the
Board shall:
1. complete
at least four (4) mootings or ten (10) hours of practice, whichever is greater;
2. have
at least one (1) mooting oberseved by a member of the Executive Board;
3. have
a member of the faculty or a member of the Executive Board review the brief
prior to submission, unless the rules of the competition forbid such a practice. The
Executive Board reserves the right to withdraw a team from competition if
the brief is not of reasonably high quality.
h. Transcript
Credit Requirements
i. To
receive an academic credit to Moot Court, a Board Member must:
1. participate
in an inter-scholastic competition;
2. participate
in at least four (4) mootings or ten (10) hours of practice, whichever is
greater, prior to the competition; and
3. complete
any requirements as set forth by the Office of the Dean of the Law School.
i. Reimbursement
Policy
i. Anything
done on behalf of the Moot Court Board, and authorized by the President or
Treasurer, shall be paid for using Moot Court funds.
ii. The
Treasurer shall distribute the funds. Board Members (with the exception
of Executive Board members making necessary Board expenditures) seeking funds
must first seek approval from the Treasurer at least forty-eight (48) hours
before incurring any expense.
iii. Any
Board Member seeking reimbursement for a Moot Court expense must submit:
1. receipts
for each cost incurred; and
2. a
reimbursement form, to include:
a. name;
b. address;
c. Social
Security number or Student Identification number;
d. explanation
of the expense; and
e. total
of the expense.
iv. All
reimbursement is subject to the discretion of the Treasurer. The President,
as well, reserves the right to veto any expense that the President finds is
not within the best interest of the Board.
v. Moot
Court Board members participating in inter-scholastic competitions shall be
reimbursed in accordance with the following provisions:
1. Fees.
a. All
competition entry fees shall be paid in full.
b. Postage
and photocopying costs shall be reimbursed in full. This does not include
express or overnight mail.
c. Expenses
incurred during the research and writing phase of the brief shall not be reimbursed.
2. Accommodations.
a. Each
team shall be reimbursed at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the cost of
one (1) double-occupancy hotel room.
b. The
amount reimbursed, however, shall not exceed on hundred fifty dollars ($150.00)
per night.
c. Hotel
accommodations for the night prior to the beginning of a competition shall
not be reimbursed if the competition rounds begin after 1:59 p.m. and the
competition is with 120 miles of Richmond, VA.
d. If
a team is co-ed and competitors are more comfortable staying in separate rooms,
the Board shall reimburse at least 75% of the cost of both rooms, not to exceed
three hundred dollars ($300.00).
e. The
Board shall reimburse the total cost of one (1) hotel room reserved for any
coach who travels with an inter-scholastic team to an out-of-town competition.
3. Transportation
a. If
the competition is within 250 miles of Richmond, VA, the team will only be
reimbursed for driving expenses subject to the following limitations:
i. only
one (1) car may be used per four (4) team members;
ii. each
team driver shall be reimbursed at the minimum per mile rate allowed by law;
and
iii. each
team driver shall be reimbursed in full for all tolls.
b. Airfare,
train fare, and bus fare shall be reimbursed at least seventy-five percent
(75%), not to exceed three hundred seventy-five dollars ($375.00) per competitor. The
fare must be reasonable, purchased well in advance, and coach class.
4. Per
diem
a. Each
competitor shall be reimbursed at least twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day. Receipts
shall be required.
5. Board
members are expected to cover the costs of any expense not covered by the
Moot Court Board. Members shall cover the remaining expenses by means
of fund-raising, loans, donations, scholarships, the use of personal funds,
or any other method available to them.
VI. Carrico
Moot Court Competition
a. Nature
of the Competition
i. The
Carrico Moot Court Competition shall be administered by the Intra-scholastic
Competitions Chair (Oral) and the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Written).
ii. The
Moot Court Board shall hold the Carrico Moot Court Competition every year
in the fall semester for second-year law students.
iii. All
Moot Court Board members shall be required to attend the final round of the
competition.
b. The
Brief
i. The
competition shall be an appellate style oral argument consisting of two issues.
ii. Each
team will consist of two (2) students. In the event that a student does
not have a partner, another single student may be assigned. In the event
that there are no single students, that competitor shall be allowed to write
a brief on only one (1) issue.
iii. The
briefs shall conform to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
iv. Each
competitor shall be assigned a competition number and shall use only this
number to identify themselves on the brief. This number shall not be
the competitor’s anonymous grading number or Social Security number.
v. Each
competitor shall write one (1) issue and annotate on the cover which issue
was written by which competitor. The remaining portion of the brief
may be co-authored.
vi. Brief
scores shall be published at the end of the competition in the most convenient
location.
c. Oral
Arguments
i. Once
the briefs are submitted, each competitor is graded and shall proceed through
the competition, individually and not necessarily with the original brief-writing
partner.
ii. The
top sixty-four (64) scores shall advance to the oral argument portion of the
competition.
iii. In
the event that less than sixty-four (64) students submit briefs, all of the
students who submitted briefs shall advance, and the rest of the bracket shall
be filled randomly with byes.
iv. The
oral argument phase of the Carrico Moot Court Competition shall be double
elimination. Double elimination shall proceed as follows:
1. The
two (2) competitors in each bracket receiving the highest total score shall
advance to the next round in the same bracket.
2. The
remaining two (2) competitors in each bracket shall be placed in the
“B” bracket. In the event that a competitor in the “B” bracket
does not advance, that competitor shall be eliminated from the competition.
v. Competitors
shall be randomly assigned an issue upon which to argue. No effort shall
be made to allow any competitor to argue the issue upon which that competitor
wrote except in the initial round. Once assigned as issue, competitors
may not take it upon themselves to switch with another competitor.
vi. Each
round shall be graded by at least two (2) judges. In the event that
there is a shortage of judges, available faculty or a smaller panel shall
grade the round.
d. Scoring
i. The
briefs shall be graded by the Brief Grading Committee and any other necessary
Board members. This score shall be based upon, but is not limited to,
format, citations, persuasiveness, and clarity.
ii. The
oral argument shall be graded by the judges of each round.
iii. The
total score for a round is computed by taking a percentage of the average
oral argument score for that round and adding it to a percentage of the brief
score. The brief score shall be used to break a tie.
iv. Once
the competition reaches the point where there are only sixteen (16) competitors
remaining, the brief scores will no longer be a factor in the total score. Competitors
will advance, if at all, solely on the oral argument score.
e. Final
Round
i. The
Final Round shall be held in the Moot Courtroom.
ii. Students,
faculty, staff, and guests are invited to attend.
f. Any
student dropping out of the competition after briefs are turned in shall not
be eligible to compete in any future Moot Court competitions, either intra-
or inter-scholastic. This decision is subject to appeal to the Strike
Appeals Board under extenuating circumstances. It is within the Intra-scholastic
Competitions Chair’s (Oral) discretion to invite the competitor with
the next-highest brief score to compete. Students who decline to compete
after being extended this invitation are still eligible to compete in future
competitions.
g. The
Moot Court Executive Board reserves the right to make any necessary changes
to the rules or requirements of the Carrico Moot Court Competition.
VII. Barnett
Moot Court Competition
a. Nature
of the Competition
i. The
Barnett Moot Court Competition shall be a pre-trial motion style oral argument
and should be taken from the Law Skills II curriculum where practicable.
ii. The
competition shall be administered by the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair
(Oral) and the Intra-scholastic Competitions Chair (Written).
iii. The
Moot Court Board shall hold the Barnett Moot Court Competition every year
in the spring semester for first-year students.
iv. All
Moot Court Board members shall be required to attend the final round of the
competition.
b. The
Brief
i. Each
competitor will work on his or her own.
ii. The
briefs shall conform to the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia and the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure
as appropriate.
iii. Each
competitor shall be assigned a competition number and shall use only this
number to identify himself or herself on the brief. This number shall
not be the competitor’s anonymous grading number or Social Security
number.
iv. Brief
scores shall be published at the end of the competition in the most convenient
location.
c. Oral
Arguments
i. The
top sixty-four (64) scores shall advance to the oral argument portion of the
competition.
ii. In
the event that fewer than sixty-four (64) students submit briefs, all of them
shall advance, and the rest of the bracket shall be single elimination.
iii. The
oral argument phase of the Barnett Moot Court Competition shall be single
elimination.
iv. Competitors
shall be randomly assigned an issue upon which to write. No effort shall
be made to allow any competitor to argue the issue upon which that competitor
wrote, except in the first round. Once assigned an issue, competitors
may not take it upon themselves to switch with another competitor.
v. Each
round shall be graded by at least two (2) judges. In the event that
there is a shortage of judges, available faculty or a smaller panel shall
grade the round.
d. Scoring
i. The
briefs shall be graded by the members of the Brief Grading Committee and any
other necessary Board members. This score shall be based upon, but not
limited to, format, citations, persuasiveness, and clarity.
ii. The
oral arguments shall be graded by the judges of each round.
iii. The
total score for a round is computed by taking a percentage of the average
oral argument score for that round and adding it to a percentage of the brief
score. The brief score shall be used to break a tie.
iv. Once
the competition reaches the point where there are only eight (8) competitors
remaining, the brief scores will no longer be a factor in the total score. Competitors
shall advance, if at all, based solely on the oral argument scores.
e. Semi-final
and Final Rounds
i. The
semi-final round shall be held in the Moot Courtroom when practicable.
ii. The
final round shall be held in the Moot Courtroom.
iii. Students,
faculty, staff, and guests are invited to attend.
f. Any
student dropping out of the competition after briefs are turned in shall be
ineligible to compete in any future Moot Court competition, either intra-
or inter-scholastic. This decision is subject to appeal to the Strike
Appeals Board under extenuating circumstances. It is within the Intra-scholastic
Competitions Chair’s (Oral) discretion to invite the competitor with
the next highest brief score to compete. Students who decline to compete
after being extended this invitation are still eligible to compete in future
competitions.
g. The
Moot Court Executive Board reserves the right to make any necessary changes
to the rules or requirements of the Barnett Moot Court Competition.
VIII. By-law
Amendment Procedures
a. Amendments
may be proposed by:
i. a
two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board; or
ii. a
petition of one-third (1/3) of the membership of the Moot Court Board.
b. Proposed
amendments shall:
i. be
in writing;
ii. state
with specificity the language of the by-laws to be amended;
iii. state
with specificity the changes to be made;
iv. be
delivered to the President, who will present the proposal at the earliest
meeting of the Moot Court Board; and
v. be
made available to the Moot Court Board at the earliest convenience.
c. Voting
i. Voting
shall take place within three (3) weeks of presenting the proposal.
ii. All
members of the Board shall be eligible to vote.
iii. Voting
shall be administered by the Secretary.
iv. Absentee
ballots may be obtained from the Secretary who will sign and date the ballots. Ballots
must be secured within seven (7) days of the election.
v. A
proposal shall be adopted upon a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership
of the Moot Court Board.
d. Effect
i. Any
amendments to the requirements for membership shall not apply retroactively,
unless specifically stated in the amendment.
IX. Honor
Code
a. The
Executive Board shall have the discretion to sanction students convicted of
an Honor Code offense.
X. Order
of the Barristers
a. The
Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining membership with the Order of
the Barristers immediately upon assuming the responsibilities of the office.
b. The
Dean’s office and faculty shall have a final approval of membership
in the Order of the Barristers. The Executive Board, however, shall
submit a list of not more than ten names for consideration.
