The Supreme Court will host the second annual High School Moot Court Competition this December. The competition is open to any team of two students in grades 9–12 from across the Commonwealth, and interested schools are encouraged to sign up before the registration deadline this Friday, October 4.
Participants will engage in a 10-week Moot Court program that culminates in a two-day tournament at Guma’ Hustisia. The students will learn how to argue in a court of appeals by participating in workshops, drafting legal briefs, and presenting oral arguments. The live oral argument competition will take place on December 5–6 and is open to the public. Students will compete in teams of two, representing their client on two different issues of law. Justices, judges and members of the NMI Bar Association will serve as panelists during the competition.
The champions, finalists, and semi-finalists will receive awards recognizing their achievement, and the winning team will compete at a regional tournament of the National Association of Moot Courts in the spring.
The inaugural moot court competition last year included nine teams in the oral argument competition. The champion and finalist teams, both from Marianas High School, represented the Commonwealth at the regional tournament at University of California, Santa Barbara in March 2024. The Champion Team, Princes Habal and Julia Taitano, finished 7th in the region and earned a place at Nationals the following month. Habal and Taitano ranked 32nd nationally in the first appearance by the Commonwealth in the National Association of Moot Court program.
Funding for the program has been provided by the Federal Programs Office of the Public School System, organized by the Supreme Court justices and staff.
Moot Court Competition organizers have been conducting outreach at local high schools to encourage participation from more schools. If you are interested in hosting an informational presentation this week, or would like to know more about the program before the registration deadline, please email MootCourt@NMIJudiciary.gov.
The top teams from the 2023 local competition, Jenny Zhang, Yejin Son, Princes Habal, and Julia Taitano, stand with coaches and chaperones Jia Jin Xu, Stephen Woodruff, Patrick Quimby, and Paige Lehman on the University of California Santa Barbara campus after competing in the regional tournament on March 3, 2024.
2024-PR-0016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
This press release has been prepared by court staff for the convenience of the public. For further information, contact the Supreme Court at Supreme.Court@NMIJudiciary.gov.
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