Life at Duke Law

Invitations to join the Board are extended based solely on student performance in competitive the Hardt Cup, the Dean's Cup, and the Jessup Cup. Most members earn membership their performance in the Hardt Cup at the end of the first year of law school. Upper level students may earn membership through their performance in the Dean's Cup or the Jessup Cup.

The Benefits of Moot Court Board Membership

The Moot Court Board allows students at Duke to participate in Board activities and Moot Court competitions. Moot Court is appellate advocacy, where students act as if they are arguing a case on appeal to the Supreme Court, a circuit court, or a state supreme court.

The Moot Court Board is entirely student run and is unique among law school organizations because of its eclectic activities. Within the law school, the Board assists the legal research and writing instructors in teaching appellate advocacy and organizes and runs the Hardt Cup, the Dean's Cup, and the Jessup Cup.  In addition, the Board sends teams to interscholastic moot court competitions covering diverse topics such as intellectual property, products liability, securities, labor, and constitutional law.

Participating in Moot Court Board gives members a chance to hone their speaking, advocacy, and critical thinking skills. Members are also afforded the opportunity on several occasions to meet judges and visit cutting edge problems in a variety of areas of the law. Most importantly, Board members can compete in interscholastic tournaments which offer competitors the opportunity to build expertise in a field, test themselves against the skills of students at other schools, and win accolades.

The Benefits of Participating in Moot Court Competitions

Participation in moot court competitions such as the Hardt Cup, the Dean's Cup, and the Jessup Cup can benefit every Duke Law student. Competing in moot court competitions provides an opportunity for students to build advocacy skills, sharpen public speaking skills, and engage in legal analysis in a variety of areas of law. The skills are not only beneficial for future trial attorneys. The ability to speak persuasively and think on your feet is invaluable in all types of legal careers.

Requirements of Membership

Top competitors in the Hardt Cup, Dean's Cup, and Jessup Cup are extended invitations to join the Moot Court Board. Each Board member is required to fulfill at least one participation credit prior to graduation. This requirement can be fulfilled in a number of ways including competing in one interscholastic competition or holding an Executive Board position. All Board members also judge the intramural competitions sponsored by the Board.