March 2017

This is a short, non-comprehensive compilation of selected materials about Moot Court that are available online and through the Rutgers-Newark Law Library. For further assistance, please contact a reference librarian.

Internet Resources

Webcasts/Podcasts of Oral Arguments:

• United States Supreme Court (audio only):
• Oyez Project – A multimedia archive devoted to the Supreme Court of the United States and its work. It aims to be a complete and authoritative source for all audio recorded in the Court since the installation of a recording system in October 1955 at, http://www.oyez.org/cases/2011
• From the Supreme Court’s official website at, http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio.aspx
• U.S. Courts of Appeals (audio only):

• Fifth Circuit at, http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/OralArgumentRecordings.aspx
• Seventh Circuit at,  http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/oralArguments/oar.jsp
• Eighth Circuit at http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/oral-arguments
• Ninth Circuit at, http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/
• State Appellate Courts:
• Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court at, http://www.suffolk.edu/sjc/
• New York Court of Appeals at,  http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/OA-Archives.htm
• New Jersey Supreme Court at, http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/webcast/archive.htm
• There are many more state appellate court resources generally available on each state’s judicial website.
• To use these resources consider using Westlaw or Lexis to find a case similar to the one you are arguing to find the date and case number before consulting the lists of online audio and video recording.   

Moot Court/Briefs:

• Using Westlaw to Write a Brief at, http://lscontent.westlaw.com/images/content/documentation/2009/BriefWrite09.pdf

• Using Westlaw for Moot Court at, http://lscontent.westlaw.com/images/content/WLforMootCourt10.pdf
• Lexis-Nexis Guide for Moot Court. Available electronically via Lexis.
• USSC briefs. 
• From Findlaw at, http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs/index.html
• From the ABA Preview of USSC Cases at http://www.americanbar.org/publications/preview_home.html
• For most recent cases on both Westlaw and Lexis, accompanying the final opinion.

Current Awareness:

• SCOTUS Blog – Supreme Court of the United States Blog at, http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/
• BNA US Law Week – follow the link from the Library’s Research DB page at, http://libguides.law.rutgers.edu/BNA-titles

Transcripts:

• Westlaw Supreme Court Oral Argument Database: SCT-ORALARG (transcripts from 1900 on)

• Lexis Supreme Court Oral Arguments: Legal > Federal Legal – U.S. > Supreme Court cases and Materials > United States Supreme Court Transcripts
• Oral Arguments by Mayer, Brown, Rowe and Maw LLP: contains transcripts and audio recordings of arguments made before the Supreme Court by the firm’s attorneys. Available at: https://www.appellate.net/area_of_focus/supreme-court/
• Transcripts of Oral Arguments before the US Supreme Court. Available at: http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts.aspx

Resources Available at the Rutgers-Newark School of Law Library in Print or Through our Databases

N.B.: Don’t be concerned if some of the materials appear to be out of date.  The nuts and bolts of moot court and appellate practice are timeless.

Books about the appellate practice, brief    writing and oral argument:

• Bryan Garner, The Winning Oral Argument (2009). 1st Floor, KF8870 .G37 2009.  “Enduring Principles with Supporting Comments from the Literature.”
• Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner, Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges (2008). 1st Floor, KF8870 .S28 2008. 
• Carole Berry, Effective Appellate Advocacy: Brief Writing and Oral Argument (2003).  Reserve, KF251 .B47 2003. 
• Handbook of Appellate Advocacy, Lawrence Brennan, et al, eds. (3rd ed. 1993). Reserve, KF251 .H36 1993.  Prepared by the UCLA Moot Court Honors Program. 
• Edward Re and Joseph Re, Brief Writing & Oral Argument (2005).  Reserve, KF 251 .R4 2005.  An exhaustive look at appellate briefs and oral arguments.
• Michael Fontham, et al, Persuasive Written and Oral Advocacy: In Trial and Appellate Courts (2002).  1st Floor, KF 251 .F658 2002.  Another exhaustive look at appellate briefs and oral arguments.
• Edward Horowitz, Appellate Practice Handbook: A Guide to Appellate Procedure & Brief Writing (1982).  Reserve, KF9050 .Z9 H67 1982.  A classic by an appellate specialist.  Concise – focus on the first 82 pages.
• Alan Hornstein, Appellate Advocacy (2nd ed. 1998).  Reserve, KF9050 .Z9 H668 1998.  One of the Nutshell series.
• Ruggero Aldisert, Winning on Appeal: Better Briefs and Oral Argument (1996).  Reserve, KF9050 .A935 1996.  Part of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) Practical Guide Series.  Designed for practitioners.
• Robert Stern, Appellate Practice in the United States (1989).  Reserve, KF9050 .S75 1989.  This volume’s strength is in its treatment of the law of appellate practice.
• Frank Coffin, A Lexicon of Oral Advocacy (1984).  1st Floor, KF8870 .Z9 C6 1984.  A humorous look at oral argument.  Remember – every good joke is based on a grain of truth.

Books about style, usage, and grammar:

• Bryan Garner, The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style (2006).  Reserve, KF250 .G376 2006.  The modern authority on legal style.
• Ian Gallacher, A Form and Style Manual for Lawyers (2005).  Reserve, KF 250 .G355 2005.  Workmanlike.
• William Strunk and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (1972).  3rd  Floor, PE1408 .S772 1972.  The one and only.
• James Maugans, The Grammatical Lawyer II (1996).  1st Floor, KF 250 .M38 1996.

Books about the student experience:

• How to Please the Court: A Moot Court Handbook, Paul I. Weizer, ed., (2004) Reserve, KF281 .A2 69 2004.  A little basic but some of the checklists are very good.
• Barbara K. Bucholtz, Martin Frey and Melissa Tatum, The Little Black Book: A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Law Student Competitions (2002) Reserve, KF281.A2 B83 2002.  Written with both the student and professor in mind.

Books about persuasive writing and brief writing in general:

• Maria Ciampi and William Manz, The Question Presented: Model Appellate Briefs (2000). 1st Floor, KF251 .C52 2000.  Annotated samples of appellate briefs.
• Girvan Peck, Writing Persuasive Briefs (1984).  Reserve, KF251 .P42 1984.  A detailed overview of writing briefs and of all kinds.
• Bradley Clary, Primer on the Analysis and Presentation of Legal Argument (1992). Reserve, KF251 .C55 1992.  Short and concise.  Look at Chapters 4 and 5 for a “methodology” of handling the written and oral arguments.
• Robin Wellford, Legal Reasoning, Writing and Persuasive Argument (2002).  Reserve, KF250 .W446 2002.  A primer focusing primarily on briefs and the structure of legal arguments.

Selected Articles:

N.B.:  State bar journals are generally available on Westlaw and HeinOnline in a separate database. 

• On Brief Writing:
• Christine M. Durham, Writing a Winning Appellate Brief, 10 Utah Bar J. 34, (1997).
• Dwyer, Feldman, McBride, How to Write, Edit, And Review Persuasive Briefs: Seven Guidelines From One Judge and Two Lawyers, 31 Seattle U. L. Rev. 417 (2008).
• Karl Linde, Appellate Brief Writing - Some (Hopefully) Helpful Hints, 25 Dec. Wyo. Law 18 (2002).
• Gerald Lebovits, Plain English: Eschew Legalise, 80-DEC. N.Y. St. B.J. 64 (2008).
• Brian L. Porto, The Art of Appellate Brief Writing 29 Vt. B. J. 30 (2003).
• Harry Pregerson, The Seven Sins of Appellate Brief Writing and Other Transgressions, 34 UCLA L. Rev. 431 (1986).
• Di Mari Ricker, Winning Moot Court Brief Writers Share the Secrets of Their Linguistic Success, Student Lawyer, December 1997, at 8. Fifth Floor: KF 288 .S83
• Sarah E. Ricks & Jane L. Ivstan, Effective Brief Writing Despite High Volume Practice: Ten Misconceptions That Result in Bad Briefs, 28 U. Tol. L. Rev. 1113 (2006-07).
• On Oral Argument:
• Henry Gabriel, Preparation and Delivery of Oral Arguments in Appellate Courts, 22 Am. J. Trial Advoc. 571 (1999).
• Hugh C. Griffen, Preparing for Oral Argument, 17-FALL Brief 54 (1987).
• Brian Wice, Oral Argument in Criminal Cases: 10 Tips for Winning the Moot Court Round, 69 Tex. B.J. 224 (2006).
• Karen J. Williams, Help Us Help You: A Fourth Circuit Primer on Effective Appellate Oral Arguments, 50 S.C. L. Rev. 591 (1999).

Video (VHS tapes):

• Appellate Moot Court Finals, Rutgers-Newark School of Law – AV VHS Cassette 405 (1986, 1998, 2001)

Lee Sims

2012/2016