The UB School of Law has one of the largest moot court programs in the country, with 21 competition teams that participate in regional and national competitions across the United States. Competitors gain writing and oral advocacy skills by participating on a moot court team. UB moot court teams have a longstanding history of success; for example, several teams routinely advance to the national rou
nds each year, and teams have done as well as placing 5th in the country. Students acquire a spot on one of the 21 teams by competing in the Byron L. Warnken Annual Moot Court Competition hosted by the Moot Court Board each spring. Competitors in the Warnken Competition are trained in brief writing and oral argument by the Moot Court Board. During the competition, students prepare an appellate brief to be graded by selected judges and deliver an oral argument in front of a three-judge panel. Those with the highest overall scores are selected to be on a team. Additionally, the Moot Court Board gives out awards for the Best Overall Competitor, Best Brief, Best Advocate, and Top 10 Competitors at the Annual Spring Awards Ceremony. The Moot Court Board comprises students selected on the basis of their grades, expertise in written and oral advocacy and demonstrated interest in the programs served by the board. The board operates under the supervision of its student-led executive board and its faculty advisor, Professor Byron Warnken. The board also assists with the National Moot Court Competition, for which UB is the Region III sponsor.
