Legal Writing and Research Course Prepares Western State Students for Law Practice

Western State College of Law is committed to not only helping students succeed in the classroom, but also creating an atmosphere that prepares students for the real world. One key course that every student at Western State completes during the second semester of their first year is Legal Writing and Research II (LWR II). LWR II builds upon the research and writing skills taught in the first semester and introduces persuasion and oral advocacy. Students learn to write various persuasive legal documents, including a settlement letter, an appellate brief and professional email. The semester culminates with a 1L Moot Court Competition. All students participate in the competition, presenting their arguments before a panel of real lawyers and judges, many of whom are Western State alums.

Students who demonstrate excellence in both their oral argument and brief writing are invited to join the Honors Moot Court team.

What is Honors Moot Court

Honors Moot Court is an appellate advocacy competition team offered at many law schools where students can participate in simulated court proceedings. At most competitions, students are provided a fictional case and work as a team over several weeks to research and write an appellate brief and prepare for oral arguments. Moot court competitions are held at law schools throughout the country, and focus on a variety of subjects, including international law, environmental law, trade law, cybercrimes, evidence, gaming, juvenile law and more.

Benefits of Moot Court Competition Team

By participating on the Honors Moot Court team, students learn practical appellate law skills, have the opportunity to network with colleagues on a national level and have fun. Additionally, students gain valuable experience arguing in front of lawyers and judges who are experts in their field that they can carry forward into the real world. Participating on this team is a high distinction on a resume and helps set them apart when applying to jobs.

Western State’s Moot Court Success:

Western State proudly maintains a remarkably successful Honors Moot Court team. Over the years, the team has won dozens of awards for best oralists, best briefs and overall competition winners at competitions throughout the U.S. In Spring 2022, Western State had three teams participate in Moot Court competitions. First, Andrea Valencia and Tori participated in UCLA’s Cyberlaw Moot Court Competition. They won second place for oral advocacy and advanced to the top four, among over 20 teams. They were coached by Professor Shah.

In addition, Javier Martinez and Jordan Santana participated in the Schreck Gaming Law Competition at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s Boyd School of Law. Their faculty coach was Professor Steve Hendricks. And finally, Megan Milne and Sorrel Call participated in the Southeastern Invitational National Moot Court Competition. They were coached by Professor Stacy Sobel. All the students felt their participation was a great learning experience and they enjoyed meeting other teams.

“We are really happy we decided to participate in this competition as it was such a fun, rewarding experience and are looking forward to our next one,” stated Megan after the competition concluded.

To learn more about our Moot Court competition team, visit: https://www.wsulaw.edu/academics/competition-teams/. Or connect with admissions today to learn how Western State prepares students for the real world.