Jessup Moot Court Research Guide

What do John Marshall, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, William Rehnquist, Robert Shapiro, Joe Biden, Ted Cruz, Alvin Bragg, and legislator and former child star Sheila Kuehl all have in common? They were all “mooties”! Prominent lawyers and leaders throughout U.S. history have built their advocacy skills through moot court. Indeed, competing in moot court can be one of the most fun and educational experiences of your law school career, and this book is designed to ensure you make the most of it. Whether you participate on a well-established team with an experienced coach or strike out on your own with a teammate, the Short & Happy Guide to Moot Court provides an easy-to-navigate roadmap to moot court success. Drawing on the author's years of experience as a litigator, legal-writing professor, and moot court coach (and former moot court participant), the Guide begins by helping you decide whether moot court is right for you (spoiler: yes!), outlining the variety of skills you will develop, and debunking some moot-court myths. The heart of the Guide then delivers insider tips on everything from collaboratively writing an appellate brief to preparing for oral argument to navigating the vagaries of the competition experience to marketing your moot-court-earned skills to your law school and future employers. Along the way, you will glean kernels of wisdom from past moot-court competitors and hear true tales from the trenches of competition. Perfect for any current or aspiring law student, the Guide is designed to be a lively and engaging orientation to the moot court universe and fundamentals of appellate practice.

Advocacy skills, which are learnt in the moot court, as a precursor to the effective communication of persuasive legal argument, are essential for those seeking a career in law. The skills associated with successful mooting, cover the entire range of the domains of human activity: intellectual, physical and emotional. This informative book examines the theories relevant to the development of skills necessary for effective participation in competition moots. By consideration of underlying theories, Mark Thomas and Lucy Cradduck develop unique models of the skills of the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains and effective team dynamics, emphasising the importance of written submissions. The authors use this analysis to develop a unique integrated model that informs the process of coaching moot teams according to reliable principles. The Art of Mooting distils the theories and principles that support successful moot performances, grounding these in practical examples of how a mooter's skills may be developed and improved. It is an essential guide for moot coaches, law and advocacy students and academics seeking to improve their skills, and new and existing practitioners.

Annotation Guiding you through the process of legal argument, this book will teach you all you need to know about how to research and structure your moot, the use of legal authority, honing your presentation skills and addressing the court. To show you how it's done, Hammond provides a worked example applying the two-stage method to creating a legal argument in a moot court. Competitive mooters will find details of internal, national and international competitions and guidelines for event judges and clerks.

Like its predecessors, the Seventh Edition of Trial Advocacy in a Nutshell breaks the "art of advocacy "into practical skills and strategies of courtroom persuasion. Part 1 focuses on strategies for turning courtroom stories into "argument-centered narratives "that emphasize the evidence that supports legal claims. Part 2 analyzes and illustrates strategies, techniques and rules for presenting argument-centered narratives effectively during all phases of trial, from opening statement to closing argument. Part 2 includes separate chapters devoted to strategies for expert witnesses, oral persuasion skills, and courtroom technology. The book includes two chapters that approach the Federal Rules of Evidence as guides for admissibility of evidence rather than as exclusionary obstacles. They explain and illustrate how to satisfy the foundational requirements for virtually all forms of oral and tangible evidence, including electronic exhibits and exhibits prepared by forensic graphics experts. The chapters also explain effective strategies for making and responding to objections. The book uses real and fictional trial settings from different eras and sources to add variety while analyzing rhetorical trial strategies and emphasizing their durability. For example, the chapter on closing argument compares arguments made in the murder trial of Euphiletus (Greece, circa 400 B.C.) with those made in the trial of OJ Simpson (1995). Other analyses are based on the trials of the Rosenbergs (the so-called "atomic spies, "1953) and the Menendez brothers (1991), while still other illustrative examples are based on the Hillmon case (1892), and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire trial (1911). We also illustrate and analyze trial strategies in the context of classic courtroom films such as Anatomy of a Murder, To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Angry Men and My Cousin Vinny, and even children's stories such as Humpty Dumpty and Jack & Jill. Also carried forward is the book's light tone which makes it not only useful but also a good read.

A succinct, enjoyable, and time-friendly text that is designed for you: To understand the basic parts of a jury trial and their importance; To get insight into trial preparation, including building a theory to use throughout the case, how to analyze of facts and witnesses, organizing your case for trial, and preparing yourself and your witnesses for the courtroom; To understand and prepare for the process of questioning and selecting jurors; To build and deliver highly effective opening statements, direct examinations, cross examinations, and closing arguments; To learn to best utilize the evidence code "tool box", including authentication of evidence and making proper legal objections; To have lots of charts and checklists to help you in your trial advocacy!

A short, funny, insightful, and occasionally philosophical guide to what you'll need to know, planning and conducting trials, interviewing and counseling clients, negotiating cases and drafting deals, writing briefs and making oral arguments, solving problems and telling stories and using your computer to make you a better lawyer. And some good poems and bad jokes

In this eminently browsable book, Bryan A. Garner has collected and arranged the most important, interesting, and penetrating statements from judges and lawyers about how to conduct an oral argument. Each didactic principle is stated, briefly explained, and then illustrated with quotations from a dazzling array of sources, ancient and modern. Novices and veterans alike will find helpful advice in these pages, which systematically explain the subtleties of the art more lucidly than any previous work has done.

Oral Advocacy: Style and Substance is the most dedicated and practice-oriented book on the subject. The seven chapters address, in turn, the physical demands, vocabulary choices, organizational requirements, and performance tasks challenging the young oralist. Consistent 'chapter objective' and 'reminder' lists highlight the takeaways of the introduction, as well as the potential pitfalls of rushing the skill. Over a dozen rules of law are integrated into the book's 17 exercises and over 25 examples. The arts of handling questions and maintaining control of the message are discussed in detail. Additionally, policy arguments and rules of advocacy competitions are exemplified and explained.

Presents the basics of writing legal briefs and giving oral arguments, with discussions on the essentials of building a case through legal reasoning and the key elements of persuasive and successful oral pleading in the courtroom.

This book reveals the inside secrets from one of the country’s leading Supreme Court advocates about how to prepare to argue in court. Chapters in this book include organizing an approach to preparation, handling the wide range of questions judges ask, honing openings, basic approaches to presenting argument, common mistakes, and attributes of the best advocates. Throughout, the author illustrates points with examples from real cases. It is ideal for first-year writing and advocacy programs, for upper-level appellate advocacy courses and clinics, for moot court competitions, and as a review resource for attorneys.

Provides a full concept of the history and practice of legal writing in the briefest of formats. The author recounts the theory of written laws from our British roots to the present American legal court system. The guide then transitions into teaching the framework and construction for written legal communication, explaining the underlying theory of citation, how to read precedent opinions. Complete with samples of case briefing, a useful paradigm for organizing predictive and persuasive analyses, complete interoffice and e-memos, updated, annotated examples of real appellate briefs, and more, this book packs a big punch in a small footprint.

This outline covers court systems, precedent, case reporting system (including regional and state reporters, citations, and case findings), statutes, constitutions, administrative agencies (including regulations), legislative history, and secondary sources (including treatises, law reviews, digests, and restatements). The outline also discusses Shepard's Citations and KeyCite, as well as headnotes and the West Key Number System.
An introduction to the evolving role of artificial intelligence in legal research has been added, along with updates on computerized legal research, including Westlaw and Lexis. This edition also contains chapters on reading and understanding a case (including briefing a case), basic guidelines for legal writing, organizing your research, writing a memorandum of law, writing a brief, and writing an opinion or client letter.

Chapter 1. Do's, Don'ts, and Maybes: Legal Writing Do's-Part I, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 79, No. 4 (May 2007) -- Chapter 2. Do's, Don'ts, and Maybes: Legal Writing Do's-Part II, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 79, No. 5 (June 2007) -- Chapter 3. Do's, Don'ts, and Maybes: Legal Writing Don'ts-Part I, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 79, No. 6 (July/August 2007) -- Chapter 4. Do's, Don'ts, and Maybes: Legal Writing Don'ts-Part II, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 79, No. 7 (September 2007) -- Chapter 5. On Terra Firma with English -- Chapter 6. Free at Last from Obscurity: Achieving Clarity -- Chapter 7. Legal-Writing Myths -- Chapter 8. Persuasive Writing for Lawyers-Part I, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 82, No. 2 (February 2010) -- Chapter 9. Persuasive Writing for Lawyers-Part II, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 82, No. 3 (March/April 2010) -- Chapter 10. Writing Bad Briefs: How to Lose a Case in 100 Pages or More, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 82, No. 4 (May 2010) -- Chapter 11. Persuading the Judge Through Writing: How to Win, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 81, No. 2 (February 2009) -- Chapter 12. Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XLVI-Best Practices for Persuasive Writing, NYSBA Journal, The Legal Writer, Vol. 87, No. 9 (November/December 2015) -- Chapter 13. The Write and Wrong Way to Approach Legal Arguments -- Index.

Illustrates the pivotal role of written communications between lawyers and opposing counsel and decision makers such as judges and arbitrators - where real consequences for clients hinge on effective persuasion. Drawing on over 15 years in legal practice and 7 years of law teaching, author Heidi K. Brown offers this holistic and supportive framework in which students progress from a mastery of the basics to a professional level of legal communication in the context of client advocacy - either in the litigation or transactional arena. As the title suggests, this book encourages law students and new lawyers to embrace the concept of mindfulness in legal writing, carving out time to thoughtfully consider client facts, legal rules, and the most effective way to balance logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade others that the result sought for a client is the just one. The Mindful Legal Writer: Mastering Persuasive Writing: transitioning from predictive to persuasive legal writing; writing persuasive legal letters; understanding the role of persuasion in all phases of litigation, including pleadings, case scheduling, motions and briefs, and appeals; drafting initial, opposition, and reply briefs; preparing and presenting an oral argument with confidence; understanding the basics of mediation and arbitration; highlighting the role of persuasion in transactional lawyering.

A how-to guide providing easy-to-comprehend instruction for the everyday citation needs of first-year law students, summer associates, law clerks, practicing lawyers, and other legal professionals. The examples used throughout the Bluepages employ simple typeface conventions common in the legal profession.

The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities is designed to facilitate accurate citation of authorities, legislation, and other legal materials. It is widely used in law schools and by journal and book publishers in the UK and beyond.