Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Competitions and
Moot Courts

Advocacy Competitions at Mitchell Hamline

Students who participate in Mitchell Hamline’s moot courts and competitions find additional opportunities to practice the skills they’ve learned and gain an understanding of how attorneys function within a particular area of law. Mitchell Hamline participates in various competitions, each featuring a distinct skill important to practicing lawyers. Each competition has its own focus, format, and eligibility standards.

What’s new this year?

Fall 2021 brief-writing workshop

Presented by the Competitions Department, this (optional & not-for-course-credit) workshop is brand new to Mitchell Hamline this year! It is geared towards students 1L & above that would like to work on appellate brief-writing skills before the release of their respective competition’s Problem. This workshop is a unique opportunity for students to:

  • Prepare for competition-level advocacy by exploring real examples of competition problems and briefs;
  • Practice legal research, citations, persuasive writing, and general organization; and
  • Develop a writing sample and receive feedback in a low-stakes environment.

The Fall 2021 Workshop will take place during the month of October with initial sessions held via Zoom. These will be recorded and made available to students online, along with other supplementary materials. 

Students interested in joining should fill out this Fall 2021 Brief-Writing Workshop Application ASAP!

How to join

Tryouts are facilitated by each competition’s coach(es) and will tentatively be held in September & October 2021. Learn more about each competition and how to contact the coaches by visiting the website pages via the menu on the left.

For any other questions, comments, or concerns, please contact:

Request to add competition

After tryouts take place and students are selected to join their respective teams, each participant must submit this form to the Registrar.

COVID-19 Update

We are currently in the process of determining the safest path for students, faculty, and staff going forward into the 2021 – 22 Competitions season as the world is still recovering from COVID-19.

Several competitions have decisions pending as to whether their events will be held virtually, over Zoom or a similar platform, or a hybrid virtual/in-person format. Please check each competition’s website for the most up-to-date information. Additionally, please note that as of right now the law school has not determined whether it will sponsor student travel in the Fall 2021 or Spring 2022 semester. As soon as that decision is made, we will update this site.

For more information, please see the official Mitchell Hamline COVID-19 page

Competitions and moot courts planned for 2021–22

(updated as of 11/10/21)

Competitions and moot court courts previously offered

Participants say …

“Not only was the Jessup an incredible introduction to international law, the competition made me a much stronger and more confident oralist. Our coaches gave us timely and relevant feedback every practice. Even if I do not practice international law, my ability to create a well-reasoned argument and deliver it over Zoom will undoubtedly help in any legal career.

—Katherine Raths ’22, Jessup International Moot Court Competition

“NNALSA Moot Court provided me with not only the space and challenge to grow as an oral advocate but also partners that have become my closest confidants from law school.”

—Annika Sanora ’21, NNALSA Moot Court Competition

“One of the most enjoyable things you can do in law school. The professors drive you to be the best you can and as a competitive person, it gives you that immediate rush that you can’t really get anywhere else in school.”

—Cameron Giebink ’21,  NNALSA Moot Court Competition

Competition and Moot Court Success

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