Moot Court Job Descriptions

Chief Justice

According to the Moot Court by-laws, the Chief Justice is the Moot Court Board’s executive officer and is ultimately responsible for all Board operations. The Chief Justice is an ambassador for the Moot Court Board. The Chief Justice is directly responsible for all communications between the Board and the school administration. Monthly meetings should be arranged with the Dean or the Associate Dean to facilitate the flow of important information, brainstorm, and ensure positive relations. The Chief Justice should also maintain regular contacts with the First Amendment Center in order to ensure positive relations and continued financial support. The Chief Justice is also responsible for all financial decisions. Therefore, the Chief Justice and the Managing Associate Justice need to be in constant contact regarding funding and budget matters. The Chief Justice also must convene the Managing Board each year to elect new members to the Managing Board. Lastly, the Chief Justice must select one member from the Managing Board or a Senior Board member, other than the Chief Justice, for the K. Harlan Dodson Award for outstanding service to the Moot Court Board.

Overall, the Chief Justice needs to communicate frequently with each Executive Justice to troubleshoot, brainstorm, and guaranteed that (1) the annual Moot Court competition is running smoothly, (2) Traveling Teams are advertised, selected, and trained according to the curriculum policy, (3) the preparation of the annual national First Amendment Competition is on schedule, and (4) the Board’s participation in the first-year legal writing program is proceeding according to plan.

Recommended Actions and Timing:

End of Second Year:

Read the by-laws and ask the out-going Chief Justice questions.
Contact and meet with the Dean, the Associate Dean, the Moot Court Faculty Advisor, and the Director of the First Amendment Center.
Contact and introduce yourself to the appropriate parties at Bass, Berry & Sims.
Make sure the Executive Problem Editor meets with the Faculty Advisor and the First Amendment Center to commence construction of a problem that will be used both in the Vanderbilt Moot Court Competition and the national First Amendment Competition. This "meeting of the minds" is very important and must take place at this time.
Have the Managing Associate Justice-Elect collect all office keys for distribution next year.

Third Year:

First Semester

Hold a meeting for all 2Ls in the first week of school informing all potential participants to ADD the intramural competition to their schedules.
Select and/or review the two competitions chosen as traveling team venues. Make sure the Traveling Team Justices have commenced advertising the opportunity for try-outs, and subsequently begin to administer tryouts for the two teams. Require monthly updates on the progress of the teams. Make sure the process begins early, otherwise important tournament deadlines will be missed.
Make sure the Moot Court Problem is being finalized, and the Bench Brief is being prepared. Continually update the First Amendment Center on the nuances of the problem.
Solicit updates and ideas from the Executive Associate Justice about the First Amendment Competition.
Check the Moot Court Mailbox in the Faculty mailroom daily.
Become very familiar with the Moot Court problem, and volunteer to judge as many rounds as needed.
If you have any ideas about seeking prominent individuals to judge intramural rounds or the national rounds in the spring, then act quickly and early.
Meet monthly with the Dean or Associate Dean.
Hold Managing Council Meetings when necessary.
Inform newly selected 2L members to ADD Moot Court Board to their schedules. Post a notice that nay 2L member interested in being Executive Problem Editor should have taken the First Amendment class. Also, talk with the Faculty Advisor about the possibility that the Executive Problem Editor could fulfill his/her senior writing requirement in the capacity of Executive Problem Editor, as well as the possibility of extending additional credit to the Problem Editor.
Maintain contact with Bass, Berry & Sims. Solicit their participation in the Moot Court Competition.

Second Semester

Help plan the annual banquet and intramural awards ceremony to follow the final round. Make sure the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and the finals are on schedule.
Convene the Best Oralist and Best Brief sub-committees. Make sure the awards have been ordered and the proper arrangements have been made.
Discuss with the Director of the First Amendment Center the possibility of holding a mock Moot Court round, regarding the current problem, before the First Amendment Center. This is an excellent opportunity to maintain positive relations with the First Amendment Center.
Put energy and focus into the First Amendment Competition.
Select the K. Harlan Dodson recipient.

These suggestions are not meant to be exclusive. This list contains a few important ideas that the Chief Justice must address to ensure a successful year.

Managing Associate Justice

The Managing Associate Justice is the Board’s second in command and should work closely with the Chief Justice to ensure efficient interdepartmental Board operations. In the absence of the Chief Justice, the Managing Associate Justice functions as the Board’s Chief Executive Officer. The Managing Associate Justice’s primary responsibility is to serve as the Moot Court Board’s treasurer.

The funding is directed through the university, so the Managing Associate Justice must work closely with Anna Henderson to ensure smooth running financial operations. Additionally, the Justice must describe the reimbursement process to the other Justices, and must make sure that the proper procedure is followed throughout the year. Only the Managing Associate Justice can submit a request for payment or reimbursement from the Moot Court Board Account.

In addition to financial matters, the Managing Associate Justice registers the board with the university each fall, maintains the Board’s supply of stationary and envelopes, maintains Board members’ mail boxes, collects and distributes office keys, prints and distributes certificates of appreciation for graduating Board members, and represents the Board with the VBA. Finally, the Managing Associate Justice coordinates the interview and selection process for choosing the following year’s Managing Council.

Throughout the year, a variety of things may come up that do not necessarily fall into the responsibility of any particular Justice. The Managing Associate Justice will usually handle these tasks.

Executive Justice for the First Amendment Competition (1)

The Executive Associate Justice for the First Amendment Competition coordinates the annual National First Amendment Competition, arguably the most prestigious event the law school hosts. The competition places Vanderbilt Law School in the national spotlight and requires an enormous amount of hard work and dedication. Organizing next year’s event will begin as soon as this year’s competition ends. However, the person selected to be next year’s Executive Associate Justice for the National First Amendment Competition also will assist in the final planning and coordination of this year’s program. In all, it is a very time-consuming position, but one with many benefits and advantages (including invaluable contacts and invitations to special events sponsored by the First Amendment Center).

The Moot Court Board co-sponsors the National First Amendment Competition with the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center. The Center is an independently funded research and advocacy group located at the Vanderbilt Public Policy Institute. In addition to administrative support, the Center supplies both its prestigious reputation and a large portion of the event’s budget. While this helps to assure that our competition is a truly first-rate, national competition, it also means that the Executive Associate must stay in touch with and work with the First Amendment Center at all times. The First Amendment Center has tremendous influence over all aspects of the competition including the drafting of the competition’s problem, the exact responsibilities of the Moot Court Board, and the general mechanics of the competition.

Guaranteeing a successful competition requires that the Executive Justice also work closely with her or his Associate Justices. The Executive Justice is the head of this three-person team and acts as the primary liaison between the Moot Court Board and the First Amendment Center. Specific responsibilities include choosing the dates of the competition, setting a timetable of things to accomplish in preparation for the competition, and dealing with the various demands of the First Amendment Center. During the competition, the Executive Justice delivers the Orientation Address and the Concluding Remarks at the Competition Banquet. In short, this is a daily job from September through April. Be certain that your schedule will accommodate the time commitment required.

The exact division of labor between the Executive Justice and the Associate Justices is flexible. All three Justices, however, are essential to making the competition a success. The competition does require a lot of work, but it also brings great rewards.

Associate Justices for the First Amendment Competition (2)

The Associate Justices for the First Amendment Competition work with the Executive Justice in planning and running the National First Amendment Competition. The responsibilities of the Associate Justices usually are divided into two categories: (1) Competition Rules and (2) Competition Reservations.

The Associate Justice responsible for Competition Rules looks over the rules that applied to the previous year’s competition and makes any necessary changes. He/she is also in charge of resolving any rule interpretation problems before or during the competition. This Associate Justice also pairs the competition participants, tabulates the team scores during the competition (with the help of an existing computer program), and determines which teams advance. In addition, this Associate Justice must reserve the rooms necessary for the competition and arrange for adequate parking for the competition participants.

The Associate Justice responsible for Reservations begins his or her job by making the necessary hotel reservations to accommodate competition participants. This can be but does not have to be done with the help of a travel agent. During the competition, this Associate Justice is responsible for assuring that the rooms are unlocked and clean and also oversees the catering of the competition.

These are only general descriptions of some of the specific responsibilities of the Associate Justices for the First Amendment Competition. As stated in the job description for the Executive Justice, the exact division of labor between the Executive Justice and the Associate Justice is flexible. All the positions, however, involve hard work, but also a lot of fun.

Executive Problem Editor (1)

The Executive Problem Editor is responsible for those duties associated with creating, researching, and producing a quality Moot Court problem to be used for the Intramural Competition and the National First Amendment Competition in March. The Editor, in consultation with Professor McCoy and the staff of the First Amendment Center, selects a First Amendment issue that will interest both students and the First Amendment Center. This process should begin before the close of the spring semester. After brainstorming, two or three potential topics should be identified from which a problem can be constructed. It is then the Editor who, with the assistance of the Associate Problem Editors, should research the law in those areas and craft a "problem proposal." This proposal should be a rough sketch of an idea for a problem and a general summary of the law behind the issues. This process should be completed over the summer so that, upon return to school, the Editor, Professor McCoy, and the First Amendment Center staff can refine one idea and flesh out some details.

The Editor’s job then begins in earnest. The Editor should thoroughly research the law in the area and identify a balanced set of issues to be argued. With the Associate Editors and Professor McCoy, the Executive Problem Editor then drafts a set of opinions from both the District Court and the Court of Appeals. About one week before the problem is to be distributed, the Executive Problem Editor must deliver to the tournament committee a final draft of the opinions and a complete set of the photocopied cases. The number of cases should generally not exceed 25, and the cases provided should be balanced on both sides.

After the problem is distributed, the Executive Problem Editor should begin drafting a bench brief to be used in grading briefs and to educate oral round judges. The bench brief should concisely summarize the law and be focused on providing arguments on both sides. In general, a good bench brief accurately predicts the content of briefs so as to facilitate their grading. In conjunction with the bench brief, the Editor must construct a grading sheet by which to evaluate the briefs. Finally, the Editor must write a brief summary of the problem to be included in both the National First Amendment Competition materials and the Final Round Program of the Intramural Competition.

In conclusion, one should NOT apply for the Executive Problem Editor position unless he/she is willing to spend an intense month of research and writing during the fall semester. The Executive Problem Editor should also be creatively inclined, be able to understand the law, and reasonably anticipate both sides of the argument in order to draft a balanced problem. The Executive Problem Editor should have taken First Amendment Law prior to the semester of his/her service or, at the least, should be enrolled in the class while writing the problem. Preference will be given to such students.

Associate Problem Editor (2)

The Associate Problem Editors are responsible for assisting the Executive Problem Editor in creating, researching, and producing a quality Moot Court problem. As assistants, the job description of the Associate Problem Editors is almost identical to that of the Executive Problem Editor. Typically, the Executive Problem Editor and the Associate Editors work as a team in the drafting process and determine amongst themselves what duties the Associate Editors will perform and how the workload is to be divided. The Associate Editors are involved in the drafting process from the early stages of brainstorming an issue to when the problem and the bench brief are completed.

As familiarity with First Amendment jurisprudence will be helpful, if not necessary, preference will be given to students who have taken First Amendment Law.

Executive Justice for the Intramural Competition (1)

The Executive Justice for the Intramural Competition is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the IM competition and planning the Moot Court Board banquet.

The duties of the Executive Justice begin with marketing. The goal is to motivate 2Ls to compete in the IM competition. The Executive Justice also has some responsibilities in creating the problem packet. While the Problem Editors create the problem and the bench brief, the IM Justices must create or copy and type all rules and additional information as necessary (e.g., cover sheet, most frequently asked questions, guidelines on oral advocacy, etc.). The Executive Justice works with the Associate Justices for the Intramural Competition to put together the problem, bench brief, copied cases, and all the informational sheets, take them to Kinko’s for copying, then sell the packets to the competitors.

During the brief-writing period, the Executive Justice must post responses to competitors’ questions. Once the briefs are turned in, the briefs must be distributed to all Board members for grading, collected, and the scores entered. One full set of briefs must be placed on reserve.

The Executive Justice also is responsible for scheduling individuals to judge the IM rounds by sending letters to local attorneys and professors. The Executive Justice also must send scheduled judges a confirmation memo and a copy of the bench brief at least one week before the scheduled round. One day before or the morning of the scheduled round, the Executive Justice should call the judge to remind them of the event and time.

For the oral rounds, the Executive Justice is responsible for reserving and preparing rooms, arranging for refreshments for the judges, and providing stopwatches, time cards, and score sheets for each room.

Once the brief and oral scores are available, the Executive Justice is responsible for inputting them into the database. Upon determining who has advanced, he/she must post appropriate notices.

For the final round of the IM competition, the Executive Justice should schedule local judges. A written program should be created and made available for distribution on the day of the finals. This program should describe the problem, list the competitors and judges, and thank the sponsors.

The Executive Justice, together with the Associate Justices for the Intramural Competition, should follow the by-laws in choosing the Board members, who advances, and the winners of the best brief and best oralist awards.

Associate Justice for the Intramural Competition (2)

The Associate Justices for the Intramural Competition are responsible for assisting the Executive Justice in organizing and running the IM competition. As assistants, the job description of the Associate Justices is almost identical to that of the Executive Justice. The Executive Justice and the Associate Justices should work as a team and determine amongst themselves what duties the Associate Justices will perform and how the workload is to be divided.

Associate Justice for the First Year Program (2)

The Associate Justices for the First Year Program are responsible for coordinating the relationship between the Moot Court Board and the first year Legal Writing and Introduction to Lawyering program. The goals of the First Year Program are: (1) to improve the quality of the IM competition by helping 1Ls improve their appellate advocacy skills and (2) to advertise and encourage participation in the IM competition.

The Justices work closely with the Legal Writing faculty. Together they coordinate programs that assist 1Ls in their trial and appellate activities. Currently, such responsibilities include: (1) conducting a seminar for 1Ls on appellate advocacy and the Moot Court program; (2) preparing an appellate advocacy handbook for distribution to 1Ls; (3) organizing and conducting practice rounds for the 1L appellate oral argument program; and (4) participating in exercises that are part of the Legal Writing program.

The responsibilities of these Justices are not set in stone; the Justices are encouraged to explore new ways in which the Board can assist 1Ls in developing their advocacy skills. The overall objective is to position and maintain the Board as an integral part of the Legal Writing program.

Associate Justice for the Traveling Teams

The Associate Justice for the Traveling Teams serves as a coach for the two Vanderbilt Moot Court Traveling Teams that attend competitions at other law schools. The Justice helps choose which competitions to attend and often attends the competitions with the teams. The Justice is in charge of organizing practice rounds, making travel plans and reservations, preparing the budget, and serving as the liaison between the Board and the Traveling Team members. In addition, The Justice is responsible for ensuring that the participants prepare satisfactory briefs and comply with all competition deadlines and rules.

The Justice should anticipate spending about two hours each week performing duties. However, once the brief is written, the Associate Justice will have to spend about two to four hours a week in practice rounds. All travel expenses including hotel, airfare, registration fees, and other reasonable expenses are fully reimbursed by the Board.

The Traveling Team members are chosen in conjunction with the law school’s National Moot Court Team and the Jessup International Law Team. After the selection process, however, the Moot Court Traveling Teams are distinct from the other two. The Justice may be a member of either the National of Jessup Teams but cannot try out for the Moot Court Traveling Teams.

Associate Justice for the Mock Trial Competition

Description Pending.