Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

 

Who are you?

We are Southern California Moot Court (SCMC) -- USC’s undergraduate moot court team. For the past four seasons, we’ve shocked the national undergraduate community and are currently ranked at #2 in the nation, beating out over 500 teams each time.

 

When/How can I join?

Please fill out our interest form (listed under “Get Involved”) so that we can reach out to you with more information. Additionally, if you haven’t already, follow us on Instagram (@uscmootcourt) for the latest moot court updates.

 

Am I eligible to join?

Aside from being an undergraduate student at USC, there are no eligibility criteria to join SCMC. You don’t have to have prior moot court, mock trial, or debate experience (though that certainly helps). What’s great about SCMC is that we teach members everything they’ll need to know about arguing the law. Simply fill out our interest form, come to try-outs, and we’ll work with you to get started!

What do you do?

We compete in moot court competitions across the nation at the undergraduate level -- as opposed to when most aspiring lawyers do moot court competitions for the first time, which is in law school.

 

Is there a try-out process?

Starting with the 2022-23 season, SCMC has implemented a formal “try-out” process. This is in response to the incredible uptick in members who have joined the club in recent years. As always, the club’s core values of inclusiveness and fairness will be practiced throughout the try-out process and beyond.

What is moot court?

Moot court is the competitive version of what Supreme Court lawyers do. We’re given a case problem with a set of facts, and a constitutional legal issue that goes with it. We do legal research, develop legal arguments, and present those arguments -- both through a legal brief and an oral argument.

 

How is COVID-19 affecting SCMC?

While SCMC was relegated to online competitions for the past two seasons, we are pleased to announce the 2022-23 competition season was held in-person in events across the nation! Meetings and social events are also in-person.