Moot Court Board

The Pepperdine Caruso School of Law Moot Court Board (MCB) is a student-run organization overseen by a faculty advisor. The Board organizes three annual in-house Moot Court Competitions, where upper-division students showcase their advocacy skills in spirited competition, and hosts a prestigious bi-annual inter-school Moot Court Competition.

Over the years, our competitions have attracted distinguished jurists to serve as final-round judges, including United States Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Elena Kagan, Sandra Day O’Connor, Byron White, Clarence Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Chief Justice John Roberts.

In-House Competitions 

Armand Arabian Advocacy Competition

Held annually at the start of the Fall semester, this competition features individual second- and third-year students arguing a problem drafted by a Moot Court Board student Problem Writer.

Originally called the Individual Advocacy Tournament, the competition was renamed in 1999 in honor of the Honorable Armand Arabian, who served on the Supreme Court of California (1990–1996) and in the Los Angeles Superior Courts (1972–1983). Justice Arabian was appointed to the California Court of Appeal in 1983 and served until retirement. He passed away in 2018, leaving a legacy of judicial excellence and dedication to the law.

Vincent S. Dalsimer Moot Court Competition 

This Spring-semester competition invites teams of two second- and third-year students to compete over a problem authored by a Moot Court Board Problem Writer.

Named for the Honorable Vincent S. Dalsimer, former Dean and Associate Dean of Pepperdine Law, Judge Dalsimer served on the Los Angeles Superior Courts for over two decades before being elevated to the California Court of Appeal in 1981. He passed away in 1999, leaving a lasting influence on Pepperdine and the legal community.

Col. John L. and Maria Moriarity First-Year Moot Court Competition 

The final annual in-house competition, this event is required for all first-year students as part of their Legal Research and Writing course. Col. John L. Moriarity and his wife Maria are honored through this competition.

Col. Moriarity, a celebrated trial attorney, achieved remarkable success in moot court during his own studies at UCLA Law, including advancing to the final four of the third-year Moot Court Competition. Over his career, Col. Moriarity tried more than 200 jury verdict cases and served with distinction in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

National Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition (NELC)

The NELC is a premier bi-annual inter-school competition hosted by Pepperdine Caruso Law that draws law schools from across the country. Competitors argue timely issues in Entertainment Law before panels of prominent industry attorneys and judges.

Past competitions have featured topics such as fair use and copyrightability of visually depicted characters, and have attracted distinguished judges including Lincoln Bandlow, Christopher Sabec, and Jessica Stebbins Bina. The competition has served as a showcase for talented advocates and a highlight of Pepperdine’s experiential legal education program.

Notably, the 23rd Annual NELC in 2023 was the first in-person event since 2019, with eighteen teams competing on cutting-edge copyright and AI law issues. The event featured an exceptional bench and celebrated outstanding advocates and brief writers from top law schools nationwide.

For updates and details on upcoming competitions, visit the NELC webpage.