Blackstone Moot Court

Moot Court is NCFCA's most difficult event.

There, we said it.
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From the strange conventions to 1,000 pages of caselaw to the fact that lawyers are your judges, Moot Court is a terrifying event. But it doesn’t have to be.
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Blackstone students have routinely qualified to nationals, won oral advocate awards, and competed in finals rounds. At the last two National Championships, 10 of the 14 top Oral Advocates and 3 of the 4 final round participants were Blackstone students.
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Need help creating arguments? We'll sift through the appendix with you to form the best possible argument structure. Feel like your cases are causing your judges' eyes to glaze over? We'll help you create bulletproof yet understandable cases by using the principles of good Moot case writing. Struggling in the delivery category? We'll fine tune your speaking until we get to the point where you appeal to every kind of judge.

Through our experience coaching over 250 private sessions, we've learned how to communicate in a way that’s both knowledgable and understandable. And we want to give these strategies to YOU.

Coaching

Who we are

Blackstone is a Moot Court-focused organization, aimed at teaching students how to master skills that will last them a lifetime. Our staff is a group of former Moot Court competitors who are passionate about sharing our knowledge with the next generation.

About us

Testimonials

"It is hard to explain how awesome Blackstone is. I went into the year without understanding the first thing about moot court. But after camp and just a couple of sessions with Ethan, my entire perspective was changed and I became radically more confident.
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Unlike some coaches I've had in the past, they don't let stuff go in one ear and come out the other. And to top it all off, all of the coaches have a love for God and truly want the students to do well. I was refreshed after each coaching session I had and was given a drive to succeed. Thank you all so much! You guys are the best!"

- Simon

"I would be lost without Blackstone.

Moot Court seemed like some confusing language that was impossible to learn, but Ethan really helped me understand everything. He’s super invested in each of his students and constantly reaching out to them urging them to improve, practice, or answer any questions they have. The price is too great of a deal, he’s the best coach I’ve ever had in a particular event and yet he’s the most affordable. Ethan’s also super encouraging! I am so thankful for Moot Court and Blackstone!"

- Charlee

"My partner's and my experience with Ethan’s coaching has been nothing short of incredible. I began with essentially no understanding of case law and a very limited understanding of Moot, but within just a few sessions, I was able to have in-depth conversations on the topics we were discussing. I think Ethan’s approach in “guiding” rather than “giving” answers and arguments has been immensely beneficial. This is just one of many aspects of Ethan’s coaching that has stood out to me as a brand new Mooter. I would highly recommend Blackstone!"

- Jacob

The last time Nationals was held at Anderson University was 2019, my senior year. That year, my Moot partner and I had aspirations of making the final round. We had fully memorized our speeches and were the top seed at a previous National Open.

But when breaks were announced, the team of EJ Rorem and Ethan Tong wasn't announced. As we'd later find out, we went 3-5 (there used to be 4 rounds with 2 judges each). Though we both got Oral Advocate awards later that week, it was a small consolation. We wanted to be in finals. And that was our last chance.

This last week, I had the honor of watching Blackstone students Gabe Zylstra and Josh Rush hoist the first-place trophy. They're the first Blackstone team to win Nationals (last year's top Blackstone team, Christian Park and Luke Spencer, lost in finals). And to add icing on top of the cake, Gabe and Josh were facing another Blackstone team, Simon Brandt and Cooper Cobbs, in finals! Call me biased, but... it was the best finals round in recent memory. Typically, the questions are so difficult in finals that listeners feel that "the judges won." Not this time. All four competitors cleanly and thoroughly answered every question thrown their way.

That's not to forget other Blackstone teams that worked extremely hard to get to the Championship. Luke Buck and Nathan Chen had the most dominant regular season in NCFCA Moot Court history, making it to the final round at every single qualifier. Both received Oral Advocate awards at the Championship. Jacob Sanford and Nolan Shrode, two brand-new Mooters, won the fourth qualifier after starting mid-season. Isaiah Brown and Bronson Gutierrez broke three times and won four top-4 oral advocates between the two of them. Eliana Boerner and Olivia Im, Charlee Amason and Abby Strew, Winston Schneider and Christian Tirone, and Christian Daniel and Luke Elshoff all qualified to the National Championship as well after excellent performances during the qualifying season.

Still, there's always room for growth, as all of the teams would tell you. Moot pushes you to be the best speaker and thinker you possibly can be. You pore over just a few sentences in the record, just a few sentences in caselaw––just to know how to respond to a possible judge question. But there's always another vantage point you hadn't considered, a footnote you overlooked. There's always a few more filler words you can eliminate from your vocabulary.

And that's why it's the favorite activity for many students. Because it's not an easy win that stems from finding the perfect case for TP or the perfect study for LD. It takes hard work, close reading, and critical thinking.

This next year is going to be a blast. Based on preliminary interest, there will be significantly more competitors and more slots to Nationals than in prior years. Don't miss out on this opportunity. And if you're still on the fence, how about signing up for a two-day camp to see what all the hype is about?