Moot Court Competition – Grades 9-12
Moot Court Registration | Complete form to register.
The deadline to register for the regional competition is February 27, 2026.
2025-26 Moot Court Competition Instructions, Problem & Rules
RULES
The Problem
- You have been provided with: (1) the Moot Court Problem and Instructions; (2A) Petitioner’s Brief; (2B) Respondent’s Brief; (3) relevant excerpts from the lower court decisions; and (4) summaries of key cases and articles from briefs that may be used in arguments. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Cheyenne Merrigan.
- No outside research is permitted. You may only refer to the materials provided for you.
- There is no writing component to the competition.
Oral Arguments
- Teams will be randomly assigned to either Petitioner or Respondent when you check-in the day of the competition and teams should be prepared to argue either side for the competition.
- Each team must consist of two individuals who must both argue in each of the two rounds.
- Each team will argue twice, once on each side.
- Each team will have twenty minutes of oral argument.
- Petitioner may reserve up to two minutes rebuttal in their introduction which will be deducted from their twenty-minute total.
- You will be scored on the organization of your argument, the clarity and persuasiveness of your argument, your presentation, and your responsiveness to questions.
- You may bring materials up to the podium with you, however, these should be referred to sparingly. Excessive use of notes will be reflected in your score.
The Competition
- Competitors should look business professional.
- The two winning teams will compete in the Finals to be held on May 1, 2026, at the North Carolina Supreme Court.
- You will receive feedback at the end of each round.
The Resources