Since 1949, the Law School has had a nationally acclaimed student-run Moot Court program that features a rigorous in-house appellate advocacy competition. Students prepare appellate briefs and present oral arguments to a panel consisting of practicing lawyers, law professors and actual judges. Our teams have competed at both regional and national competitions. A Wayne Law team won the 2003 National Moot Court Championship and another team won the 2006 Niagara Cup Championship Trophy.
Student Trial Advocacy Program (STAP)
The Student Trial Advocacy Program was founded in 1985 to train law students in trial courtroom advocacy. In a simulated courtroom setting, a student and a partner present one civil and one criminal trial over the course of the fall and winter semesters. This student-run program is open to upperclass students. Wayne Law’s STAP students are known for performing well in both regional and national competitions.
The Wayne Law Review has been published since 1954. Three of the four annual issues include articles of general academic and professional interest authored by practicing attorneys and law professors, as well as comments written by the Review’s student members. A fourth issue features an annual survey of developments in Michigan law and is widely read by members of the Michigan legal community. Students are invited to join The Wayne Law Review on the basis of high academic standing or through a writing competition held each summer.
Students at Wayne Law established The Journal of Law in Society in 1997 to provide for the scholarly evaluation of the law in relation to various segments of society. The Journal addresses social policy issues in a legal context and combines legal theory with social reality. It is published twice each academic year and hosts an annual academic symposium. Students are invited to join the Journal based upon their performance in a writing competition.