Perhaps your mind jumped to a certain quality: power, passion, maybe the ability to adapt to the audience. But if these qualities are the sole determiners of a good speaker, then––ironically––we haven't made a good speaker at all.

A good rhetorician, the Roman Quintillian once argued, is a good man speaking well. It is that first aspect that is so crucial––and yet so ignored. At Blackstone, we're passionate about developing both sides of the "good rhetorician." And we believe Moot Court is the best environment for this to happen.

Unlike debate, Moot Court is a conversation between the judge and the competitor, not an argument between two teams. The round is a professional, calm deliberation on relevant issues. There's no "my argument" or "our policy." The goal is representing another, and ultimately, upholding the Constitution. And the skillset is something you'll use the rest of your life. You learn how to respect the other person; you learn to listen rather than cut off; you learn how to take harsh comments and respond in a calm manner.

Famous English jurist William Blackstone once said, "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer." Protection of the voiceless––that's the defining characteristic of advocacy, and it's at the heart of Moot Court.

It is Blackstone's pursuit of justice––of right conduct––that defines our vision.