Wooster's 2006 Moot Court Team From the top: Cameron MacLeod, Robert Dible, Michael Doerr, Deborah Coffman, Matthew Jensen, Abigail Kline, Jeff Kaatz, Lauren Mogavero, James Owens, Michael McMaster, Lauren Schreur, Eric Roscoe, Katharine McCarthy, Andrew Gross, Anne Leigh and Steven Schott.

Students who are interested in the law or debate are encouraged to participate in Moot Court, whatever their major. Although the Pre-Law Advising program sponsors Moot Court, definite plans to attend law school are not necessary. Any interested COW student is welcome to participate in Moot Court.

Moot Court simulates appellate argument before the U.S. Supreme Court. Moot Court is thus different from mock trial in that students argue constitutional and statutory questions that are stated in a hypothetical Supreme Court case formulated by the American Collegiate Moot Court Association (ACMA). For example, the 2007-2008 ACMA hypothetical case problem, United States v. William DeNolf, concerns the constitutionality of the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1997 (18 USC 922 q). More specifically, the two constitutional questions raised in the case are: 1) Whether the Gun Free School Zone Act of 1997 (18 USC 922 q) violates the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution; and 2) Whether the United States government, in enacting 18 USC 922 q, exceeded its constitutional powers granted by the Commerce Clause, Article I, Section 8, Clause 3.

The Moot Court club meets once weekly during the fall semester. Two-person teams form early in the semester, and each team member researches and argues one of the two constitutional questions for a ten-minute period. Students argue before a panel of judges made up of attorneys and judges, and these judges frequently interrupt participants to pose questions testing knowledge, preparation, and poise.

Near the end of the fall semester, the College hosts the ACMA Midwest Regional Tournament. Schools from across the Midwest participate in the two-day tournament, and the top 25% of the participants in the regional tournament qualify for the ACMA National Tournament. Students who qualify to compete at Nationals also have the opportunity to submit written briefs in a separate national brief-writing competition.

For the serious pre-law student, Wooster offers a course that focuses on U.S. constitutional law, legal writing and appellate argument. Political Science 215, Constitutional Law and Appellate Advocacy, is offered each fall and incorporates the Moot Court case problem. Participation in Moot Court is a requirement for students in Constitutional Law and Appellate Advocacy.

Within the last few years, Wooster's Moot Court team has become nationally recognized. In the 2002-03 season, four COW students attended Nationals, and one student placed 6th in the Nation for best orator. In 2003-04, COW sent six teams to Arlington, Texas. At the tournament, two teams finished in the top sixteen, a Wooster student scored among the top ten individual orators, and COW students took both first places in the brief writing competition. In 2004-05, Wooster sent eight teams to nationals and placed third overall at the tournament in terms of average team score. In addition, two teams finished as quarter-finalists, COW teams won a first and a third place in the brief writing competition, and one COW student was recognized among the top ten orators. In 2005-06, eight COW teams competed in the national tournament and finished second in terms of average team score. COW students won two first place prizes and one second place prize in the brief writing competition, one team finished as a quarter-finalist and three other teams finished in the top 16, and one COW student was acknowledged as a top ten orator. In 2006-2007, eight COW teams qualified for the national tournament where the team of James Owens and Michael McMaster finished in second place. In addition, one other COW team finished as a quarter-finalist, COW teams won two second place awards in the brief writing competition, and three COW students were recognized as top ten orators.