Overview
In November 1994, Presiding Judge Verne A. Hodge and the Hon. Soraya Diase-Coffelt of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Bar Association, established the annual moot court competition for high school students of the Territory expressing an interest in analysis and debate in commemoration of Law Day. The competition showcases the talents of the Territory’s students in the areas of public speaking, advocacy, and legal analysis. The program is, overall, designed to give the students a basic understanding of United States and Virgin Islands government and civics as well as provide the students with insight into our judicial system.
Goals of the Competition
The program's learning objectives are simple and direct. With the support of Attorney Coaches and Faculty Coaches, the Territory’s students are given the opportunity to learn to speak publicly and to employ their critical thinking skills to both plan a logical argument in advance founded in law and fact as well as to employ those same critical thinking skills actively, in real time, when responding to questioning. By participating in the competition, students learn critical thinking and analysis, organizing of thoughts and speeches, how to respond in real time, and more.
Through hosting such a competition, the VIBA seeks to increase community understanding of the judicial process and governmental operation, increase citizens' awareness of the roles of a lawyer and a judge, promote the community's awareness of current issues in the law, promote the study of the law, provide the opportunity to develop and advance public speaking and advocacy skills, improve community perceptions of the legal profession and lawyers, and provide financial education assistance to the students of the Territory.
Role of the Court
The Judiciary of the Virgin Islands and the District Court of the Virgin Islands host the competition. In the St Croix District, the district round is hosted at the District Court of the Virgin Islands. In the St. Thomas-St. John-Water Island District, the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands host the competition at its courthouse in Crown Bay. The Judiciary of the Virgin Islands hosts the championship virtually.
Role of the Bar Association
The Virgin Islands Bar Association administers the program, and the President of the VIBA appoints the co-chairs of the Moot Court Planning Committee. The Planning Committee is responsible for the planning and execution of the entire competition. The Moot Court Planning Committee writes the fact pattern and compiles a law library for the faculty and attorney coaches to teach the students. Two issues are presented in each fact pattern, and the subject matter is designed to teach Virgin Islands law, history, and geography to the participants. The committee also prepares and distributes the materials to the competing schools, and if needed, provides physical copies of the materials.
From the association’s membership who are willing to volunteer, the Planning Committee makes its best efforts to assign two lawyers per high school team to serve as Attorney Coaches. They assist the students in the study of the cases provided and the preparation and deliverance of the arguments.
The VIBA provides educational scholarships to the students on the winning teams. Students who place individually as well as the teams are awarded scholarships, and the Bar Association awards $17,500 in scholarships annually. The VIBA also provides trophies for the winning teams and medals to the individual oralists.
Scholarships, to be divided among each member of the team, are provided as follows: Champions $1,500; Second Place $1050; Third Place $900; and Fourth Place $675. The Best Oralist receives a $1,250 scholarship. Each of the runners up received $925 for First, $750 for Second, $300 for Third, and $150 each for Fourth and Fifth. A total of $7,500 in scholarships are awarded for the championship round. In the district rounds, scholarships are awarded to the students who place either individually or as a squad in the respective districts (STX District and STT-STJ-WI District). The scholarships in each district were awarded as follows:
(1) Individually: Best Oralist- $500; First Runner Up- $400; Second Runner Up- $350 ; Third Runner Up- $250.
(2) Squads: Champions- $500 (split evenly); Second Place- $350 (split evenly); Third Place- $150 (split evenly).
With just a single annual donation of $10, if every active and inactive member of the bar donated, the entire moot court competition would be funded.
If you wish to view a past competition, go to www.vicourts.org/media. On that webpage, select the “Video Archives” link. You can scroll chronologically or search “moot court” to view the recordings of past competitions.
For more information go to:
Appellate Moot Court Competition - Virgin Islands Bar Association (usvibar.org)
Role of Each Participating High School
Appellate Moot Court Competition Issue of 2006
Appellate Moot Court Competition Issues of the Past