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 2008-2009 ACMA hypothetical case problem, Andrea “Andy” Summerville v. Olympus State University, William DeNolf as President of Olympus State University, concerns the constitutionality of the disciplinary actions taken against a student at Olympus State University for violating the University’s policies by engaging in certain types of speech outside established free speech zones. More specifically, the two constitutional questions raised in the case are: 1) Whether the type of forum created by the University’s free speech zones and the exclusions imposed by the University are consistent with freedom of expression and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution? and 2) Whether the dismissal and disciplinary actions taken against the student ambassador violated procedural due process?

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 then 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, which is one of six regional tournaments held in different sections of the U.S. Schools from across the Midwest participate in this 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 2006-2007, COW finished second at the ACMA National Tournament, which was held at Regent University Law School in Virginia Beach, Virginia in January of 2007. James Owens and Michael McMaster finished in second place, losing in the final round by one vote. In addition, three other COW teams won All-American Honors in the team competition, two COW teams won All-American Honors with second place awards in the brief writing competition, and three COW students were recognized as All-Americans for their performance as individual orators (Abigail Kline, Sixth Place; Anne Leigh, Seventh Place; and James Owens, Tenth Place).

In 2007-2008, Wooster won the ACMA National Championship, which was held at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa on January 18-19, 2008. Katharine McCarthy and Drew Glassroth won the team championship by going undefeated in the preliminary and elimination rounds. In addition, four other COW teams won All-American Honors in the team competition, two COW teams won All-American Honors for finishing in third place in the brief writing competition, and three COW students won All-American Honors by finishing among the top ten individual orators (Abigail Kline, Third Place; Claire Burgess, Ninth Place; and Katharine McCarthy, Tenth Place).