Moot Court Honor Society

Members of the Moot Court Honor Society hone their written and oral advocacy skills and gain practical research and writing experience by competing in a range of internal competitions held at St. John's School of Law and external competitions hosted at venues across the country.

Internal Competitions

Each year, Moot Court Honor Society members participate in the following internal competitions hosted at St. John's School of Law:

Hon. Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick ’67, ’03 HON Moot Court Competition
Held over the summer months, the Beauchamp Ciparick Competition is our entry-level competition for second-year day and third-year evening students. Held after the journal write-on, students prepare oral arguments based on the provided packet. The packet includes the record, sample briefs, and relevant case briefs. Students will argue both the petitioner and respondent side. Past and present Moot Court Honor Society members judge the oral arguments.

Honorable Milton Mollen Moot Court Competition
The Mollen Competition continues the oral advocacy portion of the Beauchamp Ciparick Competition. New Moot Court members argue the preliminary rounds and the top four competitors advance to the final round. In the final round, the competitors face a distinguished panel of judges, including Scott Mollen '72, a St. John’s Law alumnus and son of the competition’s namesake. The Mollen Competition typically begins in late September and concludes in early October.

Roy L. Reardon Moot Court Competition
Named in honor of distinguished alumnus Roy L. Reardon ’54, the Reardon Competition marks the culmination of the first year for new Moot Court Honor Society members. While they do not submit a brief, Reardon competitors have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the oral advocacy skills they developed during the year. Finalists not only face an impressive panel of judges, but also argue in front of faculty members, prominent alumni, administrators and students in the Law School’s Belson Moot Court Room. The Reardon Competition takes place from late March to early April.

Honorable Conrad B. Duberstein Moot Court Competition
The annual Hon. Conrad B. Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition is widely recognized as one of the nation’s preeminent moot court competitions. The competition promotes and recognizes the finest oral and written advocacy on significant issues in bankruptcy practice. Jointly sponsored by St. John’s University School of Law and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the competition is named in memory of St. John’s alumnus, former ABI Director and former Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein.

External Competitions

Each year, members of the Moot Court Honor Society at St. John's Law School compete in several prestigious external competitions in the New York and throughout the United States. The competition year is divided into two seasons—fall and spring. During the fall, only senior Moot Court members compete in external competitions. We typically send teams to:

• National Moot Court Competition
• Emory Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition
• Leroy R. Hassell, Sr. National Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition
• San Diego National Criminal Procedure Tournament

In the spring, following their completion of the Appellate Advocacy course, junior members are eligible to compete in external competitions. In past years, we have sent teams to:

• William B. Spong Invitational Moot Court Tournament
• ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
• John J. Gibbons National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition
• Irving R. Kaufman Memorial Securities Law Moot Court Competition
• BMI Moot Court Competition
• NYU National Immigration Law Competition
• WVU National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition
• Frank A. Schreck Gaming Law Moot Court Competition 

Established by the family and friends of the late Tyler Ramaker, a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, the Tyler Ramaker Memorial Award is awarded to the graduating Moot Court student who demonstrates outstanding service, leadership through action, dedication, and cooperative teamwork. The recipient will be selected by Dean Michael A. Simons based on the recommendation of the incoming Executive Board of the Moot Court Honor Society.

For more information on the Tyler J. Ramaker Award or to make a donation in support of the Award, please contact Brian J. Woods, Associate Dean for Law School Advancement, [email protected], 718-990-5792.