Dear Sir or Madam:
On behalf of the National Black Law Student Association's (NBLSA's) Frederick Douglass Moot Court and Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competitions ("FDMCC" and "TMMTC"), we would like to invite you to participate as a judge in either competition this year at our 46th Annual National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on March 11-16, 2014. Each year, both competitions work to solicit local attorneys to serve as oral argument, brief graders, and trial judges for the national competitions. We would like for you to take this opportunity to look over the following information about the individual competitions in hopes that you will consider participating in one of them.
About our moot court rounds...
As an oral argument judge, you will contribute to a very important component of the competition—grading oral arguments during competition rounds. FDMCC teams are composed of two students each. During oral arguments, two teams compete against each other. Each team will be given 40 minutes to make arguments. Each round is expected to last approximately two hours. Judges are asked to participate actively by asking questions during the arguments and providing the competitors with brief critiques following the rounds. Judges will also score the competitors after each round. Preliminary rounds I, II and III will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 8:30 AM, 11:00AM and 2:30PM, respectively. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2014 at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The third-place round is scheduled for Friday, March 14, 2014 at 5 PM. The competition will conclude with the final round on Saturday, March 16, 2011 at 9:00 AM.
We ask that each judge commit to spending at least half of the day at the competition. This will be a four to five hour time commitment. Each oral argument judge will be provided with a bench memo and summary of the problem well before the oral argument rounds. Judges will also be provided with an orientation prior to the oral argument rounds. One of the major goals of this competition is to provide a realistic practice experience for law students from across the country.
About our mock trial rounds…
The National competition is compromised of the top three placing teams from each of NBLSA's six regional competitions. Each trial lasts approximately three and one half hours. Preliminary rounds I and II will take place on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Friday, March 15, 2011 at 8:30 AM and 1:30 PM, respectively. The competition will conclude with the final round on Saturday, March 16, 2014 at 8:30 AM.
Participating judges are asked to arrive thirty minutes prior to the commencement of a round for a judges' orientation that will outline the procedure of the trials. Judges are responsible for judging each advocate on the skill in each of the trial's components; motions, opening and/or closing, objections, direct examinations, and cross examinations. Each judge will be provided with a bench summary of the major issues of substantive and evidentiary law involved in the problem along with the statement of the case.
What to do if you are interested…
We sincerely hope you will accept this invitation, as the success of our program depends in large part on your anticipated support. If your schedule does not permit your participation in any capacity, we respectfully ask that you circulate this opportunity to your respective networks. Registration is available online for all attorneys interested in volunteering their time as judges. Please visit http://www.nblsa.org/index.php?pID=269 to complete the judge registration form located on the left column of either of the competition pages.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Alicia Raines at mocktrial@nblsa.org or Rashad Pendarvis at
mootcourt@nblsa.org. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee.
Sincerely,
Rashad Pendarvis
FDMCC, National Director
National Black Law Students Association
University of South Carolina School of Law
J.D. expected May 2014
Alicia Raines
TMMTC, National Director
National Black Law Students Association
Marshall Wythe School of Law
J.D. expected May 2014