The Board of Advocates offers five internal competitions to Berkeley Law students each year. These competitions provide students with opportunities to compete in three broad areas: (1) appellate advocacy/moot court, (2) transactional negotiations, and (3) trial advocacy. Within these areas, students can compete at both the introductory and advanced levels. Students also may compete in the Pircher, Nichols & Meeks Joint Venture Challenge, which is organized by the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, Berkeley-Haas, and the College of Environmental Design.
Appellate Advocacy/Moot Court
McBaine Moot Court Honors Competition (Advanced)
Transactional Negotiations
Halloum Negotiations Competition (Introductory)
Halloum Business Competition (Advanced)
Pircher, Nichols & Meeks Joint Venture Challenge
Trial Advocacy
Bales Trial Competition (Introductory)
Pahlke Internal Trial Competition (Advanced)
These competitions, in which students are judged and trained by fellow students, practitioners and judges, provide excellent experience and training for the external competition teams and for practice after graduation. Perhaps more importantly, these competitions offer students who may never have envisioned themselves standing in a courtroom or seated at a negotiating table a chance to discover their potential. These internal competitions are available to Berkeley Law J.D. students through the Advocacy Competitions Program. Among these internal competitions, LL.M. students are eligible to participate in the McBaine Moot Court Honors Competition and the Halloum Business Competition only.