Colorado Law Competitions
Colorado Law Internal Competitions
The Carrigan Cup Student Trial Competition is the law school's most prestigious in-house competition for aspiring litigators. Two accomplished teams perform an entire trial in our own Wittemyer Courtroom before a panel of distinguished trial judges and trial lawyers. In 2012 the judging panel included a United States District Judge, a Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, and a Regent of the University of Colorado. The Carrigan Cup endowment was established by family and friends in honor of judge and former faculty member Jim R. Carrigan, and is often attended by members of the Colorado legal community to honor Judge Carrigan and his family as well as the student competitors.
Rothgerber Moot Court Competition
The Rothgerber Moot Court Competition is Colorado Law's premier internal appellate advocacy challenge. Top Colorado Law students compete for honor and prizes in this traditional capstone event that showcases their talent. Problems involve ripped from the headlines issues such as First Amendment protection, firearm issues and rights of the accused. The competition is typically judged by distinguished members of the federal and state appellate bench. This Colorado Law competition is sponsored by the late Ira C. Rothgerber Jr., in memory of his father, Judge Ira C. Rothgerber. Teams are coached by our Legal Writing Professors.
Purvis Gray Thomson 1L Competition
The Purvis Gray Thomson 1L Competition is Colorado Law's first opportunity for aspiring litigators to participate in a mock trial competition. The finals are judged by local District and County Court judges, leading trial lawyers, prosecutors, or public defenders. The top ten teams from the competition advance to compete in the CU/DU Competition in the spring semester.
Intraschool Transactional Competition
Colorado Law students who participate in the intraschool transactional competition will hone their transactional, client advocacy, and negotiation skills. For students interested in legal practice outside of the traditional courtroom setting, this competition serves as an immersive first step.
Colorado Appellate Advocacy Competition (CAAC)
The Colorado Appellate Advocacy Competition is Colorado Law’s internal tryouts for the national moot trial team and Barristers’ Counsel. This competition is run by upper class moot court leaders. The top students join the mock trial team as members of the Barristers’ Council.
The CU-DU Hogan Lovells Cup is a longstanding student tradition where 1Ls at Colorado Law and our friends in Denver face off for fun and glory. Held alternating years in Boulder and Denver.
State and National Competitions
ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition
Since 1950, the New York City Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers have sponsored this competition, where every year over 150 law schools compete in the regional rounds throughout the United States, and the winners advance to the final rounds held at the New York City Bar. Our elite Rothgerber team has competed in this rigorous national competition. Topics typically include cutting edge Constitutional issues.
Child Welfare & Adoption Law Moot Court Competition
Students argue current topics before a simulated state supreme court. The students are coached by family law clinical faculty or experienced family law practitioners.
Constance Baker Motley National Moot Court Competition in Constitutional Law
This competition is hosted by the American Constitution Society, a national organization of lawyers, judges, law students, and others interested in ensuring that the fundamental principles of human dignity, individual rights and liberties, genuine equality, and access to justice enjoy a meaningful place in American law.
Edward L. Bryant, Jr. National Health Law Transactional Moot Court Competition
This competition, held at the University of Chicago Loyola Law School, exposes law students to the corporate and regulatory practice of health care law. Students apply corporate lawyering skills through written and live presentations. Three-person teams prepare a legal memorandum that summarizes their legal and business advice for a hypothetical problem, and then present their recommendations to a distinguished board of attorneys and health care executives.
Hispanic National Bar Association's Annual Moot Court Competition
The HNBA competition is made up of approximately 30 schools with a two to three member team. Students must first write a brief, then engage in a month-long series of practice rounds before traveling to the competition. The competition problem is prepared by the HNBA and typically involves issues of constitutional law, often coupled with a statutory claim.
Inter-American Sustainable Development Moot Court Competition
Students participated in the inaugural and subsequent competitions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This competition is presented in English and Portuguese, but students need only present in one language. Our Nicholas R. Doman Society of International Law actively participates in the competition and provides financial support for the team.
Mardi Gras Invitational Sports Law Competition
Each year, Tulane University School of law Moot Court, in conjunction with the Tulane Sports Lawyers' Journal, hosts the Mardi Gras Sports Law Competition, an appellate competition focusing on sports-law related topics.
National Invitational Trial Tournament of Champions
As a testament to Colorado Law's competitive trial teams, we have been invited to compete in the elite tournament of champions hosted by St. John's University School of Law in New York City,
National Moot Court Competition in Child Welfare and Adoption Law
This is the first ever competition on child welfare and adoption law. It is at Capital University Law School in partnership with The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy, The National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges, The ABA Center on Children and the Law, The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and The National Association of Counsel for Children.
National Student Trial Advocacy Competition
Sponsoring American Association for Justice, this is an annual nationwide mock trial competition for law students to develop and practice their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench.
The National Trial Competition
Sponsored by the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and established in 1975 to encourage and strengthen students advocacy skills through quality competition and valuable interaction with members of the bench and bar.
National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition
Co-sponsored by the Columbus School of Law and the Federal Communications Bar Association since 1994, the National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition requires teams to submit a brief and deliver oral arguments before a panel of practicing attorneys who specialize in communications law. Our students placed first nationwide in 2011 and second in 2010.
Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition
This is the only moot court competition devoted to federal Indian Law. The focus of the competition is on a significant problem within federal Indian Law.
National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
Pace University School of Law founded the competition in 1989. The legal problem involves timely issues of national importance to the practice of environmental law. The competition tests the oral and written advocacy skills of law students in appellate court litigation.
Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
Jessup Students moot (brief and argue) a complex topic of international law. Colorado Law fields a team of up to five students. Our Nicholas R. Doman Society of International Law actively participates in the competition and provides financial support for the team. Recent topics have included expropriation of foreign investment, international terrorism, and child abduction.
Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition
The International Trademark Association has been presenting an annual competition on trademark and unfair competition law for U.S. law students for over 20 years.
SIU National Health Law Moot Court Competition
The oldest health law moot court event in the nation, this appellate competition allows teams of two-three students to write and argue an appellate brief before a distinguished panel of judges, competing against representatives from over 30 law schools around the country.
