The Harlan Institute and Ashbrook announce the Eighth Annual Virtual Supreme Court Competition. This competition offers teams of two high school students the opportunity to research cutting-edge constitutional law, write persuasive appellate briefs, argue against other students through video chats, and try to persuade a panel of esteemed attorneys during oral argument that their side is correct. This year the competition focuses on Torres v. Madrid.

This competition has two stages, which mirror the process by which attorneys litigate cases.

Stage One: The Briefing and Oral Arguments

A team of two students will be responsible for writing an appellate brief arguing for either the petitioner or the respondent, as well as completing an oral argument video. The brief and video will be due by February 22, 2021.You can see the winning briefs from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Stage Two: The Tournament

The Harlan Institute and Ashbrook will select the top sixteen teams supporting the Petitioner and Respondent, and seed them for the oral argument semifinals in April 2021. All teams will compete in a virtual oral argument session over Zoom judged by the Harlan Institute and Ashbrook. Only teams that submit briefs that fully comply with all of the rules will be considered for oral argument. You can see the videos from the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 2017, 2018, and 2019 competitions. Historically, the final round of the Virtual Supreme Court Competition has been held at the Georgetown Supreme Court Institute in Washington, D.C. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot plan an in-person gathering. As a result, we will host the championship round over Zoom in May 2021. The competition will be judged by a panel of expert judges, including lawyers, university level debate champions, and legal scholars.

Students are evaluated by legal experts on the quality of their argument at each stage of the competition.

Website: http://harlaninstitute.org/contests/virtual-supreme-court/

Managing Organization: Harlan Institute

Contact:

info@harlaninstitute.org

Eligibility:
High School Students in the United States

Registration Opens: October 5, 2020

Registration Closes: March 2, 2021

The Harlan Institute and Ashbrook announce the Eighth Annual Virtual Supreme Court Competition. This competition offers teams of two high school students the opportunity to research cutting-edge constitutional law, write persuasive appellate briefs, argue against other students through video chats, and try to persuade a panel of esteemed attorneys during oral argument that their side is correct. This year the competition focuses on Torres v. Madrid.

This competition has two stages, which mirror the process by which attorneys litigate cases.

Stage One: The Briefing and Oral Arguments

A team of two students will be responsible for writing an appellate brief arguing for either the petitioner or the respondent, as well as completing an oral argument video. The brief and video will be due by February 22, 2021.You can see the winning briefs from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Stage Two: The Tournament

The Harlan Institute and Ashbrook will select the top sixteen teams supporting the Petitioner and Respondent, and seed them for the oral argument semifinals in April 2021. All teams will compete in a virtual oral argument session over Zoom judged by the Harlan Institute and Ashbrook. Only teams that submit briefs that fully comply with all of the rules will be considered for oral argument. You can see the videos from the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 2017, 2018, and 2019 competitions. Historically, the final round of the Virtual Supreme Court Competition has been held at the Georgetown Supreme Court Institute in Washington, D.C. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot plan an in-person gathering. As a result, we will host the championship round over Zoom in May 2021. The competition will be judged by a panel of expert judges, including lawyers, university level debate champions, and legal scholars.

Students are evaluated by legal experts on the quality of their argument at each stage of the competition.

Website: http://harlaninstitute.org/contests/virtual-supreme-court/

Managing Organization: Harlan Institute

Contact:

info@harlaninstitute.org

Eligibility:
High School Students in the United States

Registration Opens: October 5, 2020

Registration Closes: March 2, 2021