Who can be a judge?
Current students who are members of the Order of the Barristers, law school graduates, law professors, and legal practitioners can all be judges.
How do I become a judge?
All judges must register online to judge. To register, please click on the link to the Judge Response Form in the left column of this webpage.
What does a judge do?
Staton Competition judges score the competitors’ briefs and oral arguments. Judges may choose to score only briefs, only oral arguments, or both briefs and oral arguments. Brief judges will be asked to score at least five briefs; written feedback for the competitors is optional. Oral argument judges will sit on a panel of two to five judges and assess competitors’ oral arguments. Oral argument judges should ask questions of competitors during their arguments. After an oral round, judges are invited to give feedback and constructive criticism to competitors.
Before judging, all judges will be provided with training and judging materials. These materials will include the judging guidelines, score sheets, and competition problem. Judges will also receive a bench memorandum that summarizes the relevant authority and the potential arguments available to the competitors.
What is the time commitment for judges?
Brief judges will have approximately one month to score the briefs they are assigned by the Moot Court Board. Oral argument rounds are held on Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings during a five-week period in September and October. Judges may judge as many or as few nights as they wish. A single oral argument session takes approximately an hour and a half, including judges’ feedback.
