Student Section: Observations from Law Students
Not a Moot Point: Benefits of Oral Advocacy Practice in Law School BY NATE ECKER
Contrary to popular belief, the practice of law, though stimulating, is far removed from the iconic movie courtroom scenes portrayed in “Legally Blonde” or “A Few Good Men.” Likewise, no lawyer or law professor will connect a perm to murder or exclaim, “You can’t handle the truth!”
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Instead, a significant portion of your law school education is devoted to substantive areas of law, such as civil procedure, contracts, property and torts. However, it would be a mistake to simply discount the possibility of learning, practicing or even teaching oral advocacy skills during law school. Countless opportunities exist to develop these skills both in and outside of the classroom, and this article will highlight some of these opportunities as well as their benefits.
Almost every law school student will enter their first year with some oral advocacy experience. These experiences cover a wide breadth, including class projects, debates, mock trials, moot court competitions, school plays, speeches and work presentations. Nonetheless, it is still important to build upon these previous experiences through both hands-on instruction and observational learning. Many law schools offer second- and third-year
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