Gender & Sexuality Moot Court Competition

Each spring the MSU College of Law hosts a Gender and Sexuality Moot Court Competition (GSMCC) which provides law students from across the country an opportunity to participate as advocates for legal issues related to gender and sexuality. The competition was created during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initial competition was offered online to allow advocates to practice online arguments. 

Subsequent competitions have remained online to provide a budget-conscious opportunity for law students and law schools who may not be able to travel to a competition. The online format also allows us to engage a broader set of current lawyers and judges from around the country to provide a high-quality educational opportunity for all involved.  

Through the GSMCC, MSU Law has engaged teams from law schools nationwide to study and learn about gender, sexuality and the law. Students gain practice researching, writing, and speaking about issues. The teams are presented with “The Problem,” a hypothetical case to be argued before the Supreme Court of the United States on a current legal question about sex, gender, and the law.

Your Support Will Ensure MSU Law Can Host This Competition for Years to Come!

We’re excited to have already fully established this new competition at MSU Law.

All donations make a difference!

What will your gift will support?

• $50 will help pay the stipend for one student bailiff for each day (approximately 30 bailiffs per competition).
• $100 will help pay for multiple bailiffs or provide partial funding for the student leadership team stipends.
• $200 funds the award for Top Oralist (3rd Place)
• $300 funds the award for Top Oralist (2nd Place)
• $500 funds the awards for Top Oralist (1^st Place), Best Brief (2^nd Place), or a student stipend for one student serving for a semester on the Student Leadership Team.
• $1000 funds the award for Best Brief (1st Place).

This competition:

• Provides a forum for law student advocates from around the country to write and argue on legal issues dealing with gender and sexuality.
• Creates opportunities for MSU Law students to participate in the competition as advocates.
• Supports a regular class to be offered by Professor Johnson at MSU Law on Law and Gender.
• Provides an opportunity for many MSU students to participate as bailiffs and learn more about the moot court process and the competition problem.
• Creates leadership opportunities for upper-level law students.
• Allows MSU Law to be a leader in creating a forum for current law students, MSU Law alumni, the Michigan legal community, and the National LGBTQ+ Bar members to address important legal issues that require research, advocacy, and engagement.

Now, more than ever, this project also signals the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging when it comes to sexuality and gender.

Gender and Sexuality Moot Court Project Budget

The funds raised will support program costs such as paying for student coordinators, stipends for students who work the day of the event, prizes for best brief and best oralist, recognition certificates, and costs associated with student mentorship and development. If you want to name or fund a particular aspect of this program, please contact Heather Johnson.

Who We Are

The MSU Law GSMCC is led by faculty members Heather L. Johnson and Nancy A. Costello.

Learn more about last year's competition here. 

Make a Gift by Mail:

University Advancement
Spartan Way
535 Chestnut Road, Room 300
East Lansing, MI 48824

*Make check payable to Michigan State University and write “Appeal 24OOPCF1LGSMC” in the note section.

Connect with Us

• facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MSUCollegeofLaw
• twitter - https://twitter.com/msulaw
• instagram - https://www.instagram.com/msulawcollege/
• MSU website - https://www.law.msu.edu/gender-sexuality/

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