Intellectual Property Moot Court – 7085

Fall 2017
* Multi-semester course
Katie Muller
Emily Wessels ’14

The Intellectual Property Moot Court furthers students’ research, writing, and oral advocacy skills using case problems based primarily on patent, copyright, and trademark issues.  Case problems also may involve computer law and antitrust issues.

The sixteen to twenty 2Ls do a warm-up assignment in September and October based on one of these areas of law.  Students then present oral argument on the first assignment.  This is followed by the first draft of an appellate brief, due toward the end of the fall semester.  After critique by the Directors, students rewrite the briefs.  Students do extensive oral argument work, based on the problem addressed in the briefs, during spring semester.  Final oral arguments are presented in courtrooms to attorneys practicing in intellectual property law. 

The program is run by two 3L Student Directors and by practicing attorney adjuncts.  Student Directors are selected based on their overall performance during their second year as well as a written statement as to why they want to be a director.  The two Student Directors also are the competition team for the Giles S. Rich Moot Court competition.  They write the team briefs, and attend the regional competition, usually in the third week of March.  The top two teams at the regional competitions qualify for nationals in Washington, D.C., usually held in early April.