Clubs formed for the purposes of argument of moot cases exist in varying numbers at several of the best law schools in the country. From the students of the Law School at Michigan has come a movement for the establishment of such clubs here...

Goodrich, Herbert F.

English

University of Michigan School of Law

University of Michigan Law School University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository Articles Faculty Scholarship 1924 Revival of Moot Courts at Michigan Herbert F. Goodrich University of Michigan Law School Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/articles/2126 Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/articles  Part of the Legal Education Commons, and the Legal Writing and Research Commons Recommended Citation Goodrich, Herbert F. "Revival of Moot Courts at Michigan." Mich. Alumnus 30 (1924): 725–26. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles by an authorized administrator of University of Michigan Law School Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact mlaw.repository@umich.edu. The Michigan Alumnus, March 27, 1924 [Page 725]for immediate attention because of thedifficult nature of the subject matter.Agency and Contracts are the otherswhich have been designated for first consideration. The work will consist oftwo parts: one a concise statement ofprinciples stated so far as possible indirect form as a rule of law; the othera treatise discussing points in detail andcollecting and classifying decisions andother authorities.Work Done by TeachersIn the preparation of the restatementteachers of law are naturally called uponto carry a large part of the work. Oneis chosen, designated the Reporter, onwhom devolves the duty of preparingthe statement. He submits portions ofhis copy, from time to time, to an advisory board, whose members meet withthe Reporter and criticize and discuss thematerial line by line and sometimes wordby word. When a satisfactory statement is completed it will be submitted tothe Council and then to the members ofthe Institute. If approved it will be presented to the bar and the public as theInstitute's statement of the Americanlaw. The scheme therefore requires cooperation by the bench, the bar and theschools. So far the outlook is very hopeful for the accomplishment of results ofreal and lasting value.Part Played by Michigan MenThe Law School of the University ofMichigan is and will continue to be intimately connected with this movement forthe improvement of the law. Dean HenryM. Bates was one of the organizers ofthe Institute; he has been a member ofthe Council from the beginning. Mr.H. F. Goodrich is a member of the advisory committees in Torts and Conflictof Laws. Others of the Faculty will becalled upon as more subjects are undertaken for statement. Mr. F. R. Mechem,once of Michigan, now of the Universityof Chicago, is the Reporter for the lawof Agency. Two graduates of theSchool were made members of the Council at the last meeting — Judge M. B.Rosenberry, '93/, of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Judge Rousseau A.Burch, '85/, of the Supreme Court ofKansas. Many other Michigan men areamong the distinguished lawyers andjudges making up the membership of theInstitute.REVIVAL OF MOOT COURTS AT MICHIGANOrganization and Operation of the Ancient Practice Among StudentsBy Professor Herbert F. GoodrichV/f OOT courts in which law students argue law questions are notnew, for they run back for centuries inthe history of the English Inns of Court.Neither are they new at Michigan, forthere have been several organizations informer days in the Law School devotedto the argument of cases among theirmembers. These voluntary societies diedout, for one reason or another, someyears ago. The Practice Court, part ofthe regular curriculum of the LawSchool, trains students in preparation ofpleadings, analysis of facts and presentation of authorities and arguments. Butit comes in the third year of the courseand the size of present classes and thepressure of other work has made it im-[Page 726] The Michigan Alumnus, March 27, 1924possible for each student to handle morethan one case. More work along thisline is desirable ; furthermore, it is advantageous for the men tolearn to use the law books,and to present constructiveargument on law problemsearly in the course instead ofhaving it wait until the thirdyear.Third Year Men AdvisorsClubs formed for the purpose of argument of mootcases exist in varying numbers at several of the best lawschools in the country.From the students of theLaw School at Michiganhas come a movement for the establishcommittee appointed for that purposehave organized about twenty clubs offirst and second year men. Each clubis under the direction of athird year man as adviser.Arguments will start in afew days and continue forseveral weeks, until eachmember of the variousclubs has participated inat least one argument.With this start it is expected that the work canbegin without delay at thebeginning of the schoolyear next fall, when amore elaborate program canContributor of Two Articles be undertaken. It is hopedin This Issue. rat that time, too, to begin aseries of inter-club contests, in additionPROFESSOR HERBERT F.GOODRICHment of such clubs here. The third yearclass took the initiative and through ato the arguments between counsel in thesame club.Western Conference University Alumni Banquet inNew York/~)N Friday, March 2ist, the SecondAnnual Banquet of the New YorkAssociation of Western Conference Universities, was held at The Astor, oneof the leading hostelries of New York.List of SpeakersAmong those scheduled to speak were :James R. Angell, '90, A.M., '91, toast-master, now President of Yale and agraduate of the University of Michigan,Alonzo Stagg, the nationally famous Athletic Director of the University of Chicago; W. A. Jessup, President of Iowa;and Glen Frank, Editor of Century Magazine and a former Northwestern man.A Few Special FeaturesThere was also special entertainmentprovided in the nature of violin selectionsby Gilbert Ross, distinguished violinist,of Wisconsin; the Castle Club Orchestra,led by J. M. Friedlander, an Iowa manand made up mostly of Iowa men; Man-ton P. Marble, '10, a well known tenorfrom Michigan, and other novelties.Last year, the affair proved a tremendous success and was attended by several hundred. This year, an even largernumber was in attendance.

Revival of Moot Courts at Michigan

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Revival of Moot Courts at Michigan

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