With the many informational meetings taking place this week for the hundreds of organizations on campus, some prepare to attract students interested in pursuing law school.
Texas A&M Mock Trial and Moot Court are two separate organizations that fall under the Legal Education Group for Future Aggie Law Students, or LEGALS.
Bryce Buchmann, senior political science major and president of LEGALS, said the goal of both organizations is to promote students’ interest in law careers and educate them on laws.
He said although Moot Court and Mock Trial are both LEGALS organizations, and each groups’ members are also considered LEGALS members, there are some differences between the two.
“Moot Court is more similar to a Lincoln-Douglas debate,” Buchmann said. “There are only two people in a group [and it’s] more sitting down and studying the law, so it may take a deeper knowledge. Mock Trial is almost more theatrical. It’s a performance; you already know what’s going to happen. There are six to 10 people in a group so you have to work together a lot.”
Buchmann said students interested in law will find LEGALS
extremely beneficial.
“LEGALS provides a lot of networking opportunities here at A&M and around the country,” he said. “You’ll meet law students from all over. If you’ve thought about going into law as a career, this would help.”
Brenton Cooper, junior economics major and member of Moot Court, said members have mock Supreme Court arguments over pre-determined,
fictitious cases.
“We’ll go before judges and we’ll argue against another team,” Cooper said. “The winner is determined by the judges based on who gives the
better argument.”
The Moot Court teams travel to law schools across the country and are judged by a panel of current law students and law professionals.
“Being at competitions is really fun and it just gives you a rush of excitement,” Cooper said. “It’s a chance to be in a situation where you have to use critical thinking, have to use speech and argumentation to do well.”
Ben Shreve, senior political science major and treasurer of Moot Court, said the members of the team gain opportunities to hone their group communication and every-day life skills, all while preparing for law school.
He said the competition team won several tournaments last year and was invited to a national tournament
in Virginia.
“We’re eyeing nationals, but we’re also just taking everything one step at a time,” Shreve said. “Right now our focus is on bringing in new members.”
Despite some of the difficulties the group may face, Shreve said he is grateful for the relationships
he has formed.
“I like the camaraderie,” he said. “There are very focused, intelligent students, and it’s a lot of fun to bounce ideas off of each other.”
For students interested in either organization, Shreve said he encourages them to attend the informational meetings at 9 p.m. on Sept. 4 in MSC 2503, at 9 p.m. on Sept. 5 in Rudder 302 or at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 in Rudder 308.
“Come out and give it a shot,” Shreve said. “It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great experience. If you have any interest in not only practicing law but business and any public speaking, or convincing someone else of your point, it’s
extremely helpful.”