Photo Courtesy of Moot Court
At Hofstra, there is no shortage of students seeking to build skills that prepare them for the workplace. Founded just a few months ago, Moot Court is an organization centered around exactly that, but primarily for the legal field. Even though this is the club’s first semester in operation, its establishment was first discussed back in 2019.
Senior political science and public policy major Patrick McCabe, president of the club, mentioned how at the time, Hofstra did not have any sort of legal-oriented organizations. McCabe and a few of his peers decided to take initiative to change that.
“We wanted to do this because there were other students who felt the same way we did,” McCabe said. “They wanted something to help solidify their future in a legal career by gaining the tangible skills needed.”
Although the club is focused on legal proceedings, McCabe stressed that participation is not limited to pre-law or political science students.
“Even though we are legally oriented, there is a large set of skills that are applicable in different settings,” McCabe said. “We have a wide-ranging group of majors in our club because I think they’ve realized that in terms of the writing, oral advocacy and public speaking skills you gain over time, they are very wide reaching. [Moot Court] is a forum to argue with legal principles that also strengthens your writing and public speaking skills. It keeps you thinking on your toes and just being fast in the way that you structure and create your arguments.”
McCabe noted that the argumentative skills practiced in Moot Court carry over very smoothly into the classroom.
“When you have to write a paper,” he said, “you need to be able to make a strong point and back it up with proper evidence. Moot Court does a good job in preparing [you for] that.”
Members of Moot Court learn and practice their skills against each other every week, with potential competitions against clubs from other schools looming in the horizon. These competitions are sponsored by the American Moot Court Association (AMCA), the national governing body for Moot Court. As the club picks up traction over the next few weeks and months, McCabe hopes the club can obtain membership so they can compete against other universities.
Sage Wenninghoff, a sophomore majoring in philosophy and rhetoric & public advocacy, and the event chair of Moot Court, became involved with Moot Court in a similar fashion as McCabe. “I’ve always been involved in these types of clubs,” Wenninghoff said. “I was in mock trial in high school and plan on going to law school, so Moot Court seemed like a great fit for my interests.”
Another benefit Wenninghoff enjoys in Moot Court is meeting people outside her major. Many of the other club members take different classes than her, so by participating in Moot Court, she has developed strong connections with pre-law students from a variety of majors, who she hopes can serve as professional contacts in the future.
Another aspect Wenninghoff appreciates about Moot Court is its encouraging environment.
“Moot Court allows people to become confident in their analytical and speaking skills,” Wenninghoff said. “It also provides a safe space for people to think out loud and create discussions from those thoughts. These are skills that can be applied in many places in life, but especially in interactive classrooms that encourage students to contribute their own thoughts.”
Both McCabe and Wenninghoff have long been interested in the legal field and pre-law organizations, but this is not the case for all Moot Court members.
Melanie Quackenbush, a sophomore majoring in global studies and public policy & public service, did not intend on joining Moot Court, but after tagging along to a meeting with a friend, it fascinated her. Like Wenninghoff, she felt drawn to the supportive and fun environment, and the court cases the club studies piqued her interest in the legal field.
As a social science student, many of the topics Quackenbush learns in her classes intersect with the legal field. When participating in Moot Court, she seeks to bring in her existing knowledge, while applying new skills from her classes.
“Learning more about judicial law and history helps give more context to a lot of the things that I learn, and gives me another lens to look at things though,” Quackenbush said. “It has also given me space to develop my public speaking skills, which is always helpful in the classroom.”
Being a new club has not prevented Moot Court from gaining members, as it has over 30. Focusing on skills useful in and out of the classroom, all members can expect a fun yet enriching challenge.
