UCLA UCLA Moot Court Honors Program Oral Argument Workshop

What to expect … Be here early – first round starts promptly at 9am. Rounds will be held in classrooms and the Moot Courtroom

Getting to your room… Get to your assigned room 5 minutes early to familiarize yourself with it, ie where you stand, where the judges sit.

What to bring with you… A bottle of water (believe us) A copy of your brief A few pages of notes, and nothing else What should be in your notes (in order): Concise statement of what you’re asking for Checklist of your key arguments / counters Brief notes on importance of key cases

What NOT to bring with you… The cases A pen or anything else you can wave Cell phone

Etiquette Keep your feet on the floor and your hands on the podium. Practice, practice, practice. Good: a mirror. Better: a friend. Best: a videotape. Speak s-l-o-w-l-y. Smile Ladies: pull back your hair. Button your jacket.

Pre-argument preparation Once you’re in the room … Timekeeper will ask the judges in which order the advocates will argue. Timekeeper will call the session to order, announcing judges names, etc. The Chief Justice will prompt the first advocate to speak.

What to say first… “May it please the court, my name is [blank], and my co-counsel [blank] and I represent [Petitioner or Respondent]” Then you start arguing …

Starting out strong… 1. State what you want the Court to do (reverse or affirm) 2. State that there are [number of] reasons the Court should rule in your favor 3. State each reason, in strongest to weakest order, in one sentence

Preparing for questions… Be prepared for a question before you finish summarizing your arguments If you’re interrupted, stop talking and listen carefully to the question Answer the question posed and nothing else – don’t try to evade it If unclear about the question, politely ask for clarification before answering

Take your time before answering… Make sure you completely understand the question before answering Taking a moment to gather your thoughts is not a sign of weakness

Dealing with questions… Never interrupt the judges, even if they interrupt your answers Don’t battle the judges – be persuasive but not pushy

Interacting with the judges… Don’t fight the hypothetical – use it to get insight about the judge’s thoughts Minimize the brown-nosing – don’t tell them they just asked a good question

Transitioning After you finish answering a question, transition back to your main point Do not stop and wait for another question

Concluding… When you’re down to one minute left, or have just exceeded your time, ask for a moment to conclude State in one sentence what you want the court to do and why (briefly) If you left out a key point in your argument, this is where to mention it briefly

Stepping down after glory… Upon finishing, sit back down calmly If you’re following another advocate, let him/her sit down before you stand up. Don’t fall asleep. No high fives. Good Luck!