All of us can recall our law school moot court competitions that occupied our energies—learning how to write a persuasive brief and to argue its contents before a “court” often comprised of professors, teaching assistants and alumni. But, the importance of the moot court experience does not stop at graduation. Practicing lawyers, especially appellate counsel can be significantly assisted by engaging in a law school style “moot court” exercise as they prepare for an appellate or motion court engagement.

Enlisting the assistance of those with a careful eye toward maximizing the effect of courtroom presentations—both the brief and the argument—should not be underestimated. While the trained ear of a colleague, a friend, perhaps a spouse or partner who takes some time out to listen to snippets of an intended argument can make a big difference in the effectiveness of an oral argument, to maximize the benefit of a moot court experience, the practitioner should consider a more exacting approach.

A compelling oral argument, supplementing a thoughtful and well-crafted brief can help persuade the court to rule in your favor in a close case. The opportunity to persuade the appellate panelists should not be squandered.