Board of Advocates
2013-2014 Tryouts! Please sign-up on the tryout spreadsheet. Note that you can toggle between the three branches with the buttons in the bottom left corner.
Welcome to the Berkeley Law Board of Advocates! The Board of Advocates is a primarily student run organization charged with all of the school’s internal and external skills competitions. The Board of Advocates has won competition awards at multiple levels, consistently outperforming other top-ten law schools.
The Board of Advocate’s general membership includes over 60 students who participate in both regional and national competitions in three main areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Trial Advocacy, and Appellate Advocacy. Competition for a place on these teams is fierce during the Board’s yearly try-out process, with multiple students vying for each spot. Teams receive coaching from professors, Executive Board Members, alumni, and fellow students.
The Board also places a strong emphasis on training fellow students and future members through internal competitions, offering scholarship money and the opportunity to be heard by federal judges in mock argument. For example, the Board was recently lucky enough to have Justice Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court judge the final round of Berkley Law’s annual McBaine Moot Court Competition.
The Board of Advocates provides further opportunities for students to hone their advocacy skills, hosting multiple skills workshops throughout the year. In 2009, the Board welcomed the California Supreme Court to hold a day of oral arguments at Berkeley Law. In addition, the Board organizes other annual events such as Ninth Circuit Day, which provides students a rare chance to see the federal court in action in an academic setting.