Competitions & Oral Advocacy

National Moot Court Team

The National Moot Court Team participates annually in two of the most competitive and prestigious moot court competitions in the country: the ABA’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) and the Spong Invitational Moot Court Tournament. Historically, it has participated (and won national titles) in multiple other national competitions, including the William E. McGee National Civil Rights Moot Court Competition and the Evan A. Evans National Moot Court Championship.

Picture of 6 law students, at a moot court competition event

The Record

Two Decades of National Recognition

Unparalleled Team Success

Significant results in regional and national competitions

National Championships

National First Round Appearances

NAAC Regional Championships

Award-Winning Advocacy

Consistent recognition for individual and team achievement in written and oral advocacy

Individual Speaking Awards

Brief-Writing Awards

“Best Advocate” Awards

Recent Achievements

2026

National Semifinalist at NAAC

Won NAAC Regional Championship and reached top four at NAAC National Finals; achieved third-ranked brief and second- and ninth-ranked advocates in the country at NAAC (Zachary Irovando and Sarah Tyler).

2025

Spong Runner-Up

Finished second and won Best Speaker (Sarah Tyler) at Spong; best brief and finalist at NAAC Regional.

2024

National Top Eight—and Plus Two Regional Titles

Won Two NAAC Regional Championships and reached NAAC National Quarterfinals; national third-ranked brief and sixth-ranked advocate (Rachel DiSibio).

2023

Top Two (and Two Top Briefs) at Spong

Reached final round at Spong and won best brief on both sides of the case; won Regional Championship, second-ranked brief award, and three top-ten speaking awards (Derek Lee (2nd), Gavin McGimpsey (8th), Katherine Galvin (9th)) at NAAC Regional.

Picture of 6 law students, at a moot court competition event 2024 — WashU Law Admiralty Moot Court team wins in Charleston

Picture of law students, and faculty at a moot court competition event 2018 — WashU Law Jessup International Moot Court Competitions

Full team history

How to Apply

Join the team.

The team recruits new members each spring semester from the 1L and 2L classes.

Requirements:

Persuasive writing sample
Unofficial transcript
Resume
10-minute oral argument on topic of your choice

Apply Now

Timeline

1L Spring (or 2L Spring)	Application Interested students apply through an open audition process
2L Fall (and/or 3L Fall)	Training Team members attend three “moot camps” to develop their written and oral advocacy skills
2L Winter (and/or 3L Winter)	Brief-Writing Participants break into teams to draft competition briefs
2L Spring (and/or 3L Spring)	Practice & Competition Team members practice weekly before traveling to and attending competition

National Moot Court Team Coaches

Richard Finneran

Adjunct Professor

Cort VanOstran

Adjunct Professor

Adjunct Coach
Brandon Black

Adjunct Coach
Chris Collum

Adjunct Coach
Emily Hepperman

Adjunct Coach
Sasha Riedisser

FAQ

All WashU Law JD students are eligible to participate. You audition any time after the end of your 1L year.

No. We structure our practice schedule around the team members’ class schedules. Other than attending competition, you will never be required to miss class to participate on the team.

There are 12 spots on the National Moot Court Team.

Each team member attends one competition each year: either the National Appellate Advocacy Competition or the Spong Invitational Moot Court Tournament. The NAAC, however, has a separate national final, so if you win regionals, you will travel twice in the spring.

No. The school covers all airfare and lodging expenses and provides team members with a daily per diem to cover meal expenses during competition.

A lot. We win an average of one NAAC regional championship each year and a national championship every two to three years. We also regularly win multiple speaking and writing awards each year.

Our practices generally last about an hour and a half, during which we will typically simulate an oral argument for the first hour and spend the last half hour discussing areas for improvement. The three “moot camps” held in the fall are about four hours apiece.

Once you are assigned to a competition squad, you and two other team members will work together to write a brief on the issues assigned by the competition. Especially for the NAAC, writing the brief requires substantial work over winter break, but you and your teammates will work together to manage the responsibility. You will also receive training on brief-writing during the “moot camps” in the fall, which will help prepare you to successfully complete the written portion of the competition.

All of our coaches are practicing attorneys and former members of the National Moot Court Team who volunteer their time to coach the next generation of oral advocates. Prof. Finneran, who is the head coach of the team, has been involved with the team for two decades and has been voted four times as the Adjunct Professor of the Year.

Almost universally, our students report that the National Moot Court Team was both the most enjoyable part of their law school education and the thing that best prepared them for real-life practice. We pride ourselves on providing an educational experience that gives students the tools they need to be skilled oral advocates and successful attorneys once they graduate from law school.

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