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AQ Difference |
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| The Aquinas College Pre-Law Program offers students a range of unique opportunities, including: |
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| Moot Court Team |
| Moot Court provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to write appellant briefs and present oral arguments before a panel of attorneys and judges. This credit bearing course offered Fall Semester sends a team of competitors to a regional competition where they are judged against other undergraduate teams. High scoring teams are invited to a national tournament. >>Learn More |
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| Michigan Law School Representatives |
| Aquinas hosts representatives of law schools in Michigan each fall semester. Additionally, trips to national law school fairs are coordinated. These exchanges provide students with a chance to gather information, ask questions, and talk directly with law school admissions officers. |
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| Practical Advice About Law School and Careers in Law |
| The Pre-Law Program provides sessions which guide students who are considering a legal career. Workshops throughout the year include, “Navigating the Law School Admission Process,” “How to Write Personal Statements for Graduate School,” and rehearsal interviews. In addition, Aquinas provides practice exams each semester of the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). |
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| The Pre-Law Advising Program Committee |
| The Pre-Law Advising Program Committee is a network of advisers committed to assisting students in the selection of an appropriate curriculum, the construction of an application to law school, and the consideration of career opportunities in law. The Committee includes lawyers, and faculty and staff members of the College with interest and experience in law. |
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"May it please the court?" |
| Ten students from Aquinas journeyed to the campus of The College of Wooster in central Ohio to compete in the regional competition of the American Collegiate Moot Court Association on Nov. 20, 21 & 22, 2008. |
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| Moot Court is a national undergraduate forensic competition where students (working in pairs) argue before the U.S. Supreme Court a nationally selected case for the competitions. They are judged by attorneys and judges who evaluate the quality of the legal arguments and extensively question the participants on their legal arguments and analysis. Teams from seven Midwestern colleges competed in the upper-Midwest regional tournament. Denison University, The College of Wooster, Vanderbilt University, Youngstown State University, Drake University, Marietta College and Aquinas College all sent teams. |
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| This year's case had one debater arguing a student's first amendment right to protest on a university campus based on a new university speech policy while their partner argued that the student's termination from a campus job and subsequent disciplinary action denied the student procedural due process under the fourteenth amendment. Students must be able to argue for both sides at competition as a coin flip determines whether a team argues for the student or the university. |
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| Aquinas placed third in the overall competition. Pairs included: Sefik Arapovic with Onyinye Ezeh, Michael Licari with Katelyn Smith, Brett Barnes with Vaughn Frazher, Jeff Wanner with Jake Jelsema, and Josh Davis with Nick Avendt. The team was coached by Bradford Winkler, attorney, and professor for the class, who accompanied the team to the competition. |
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| Moot Court is offered in the fall semester by the Political Science Department. Students write a formal U.S. Supreme Court brief which is the basis for their oral arguments and develop their argumentation skills throughout the semester as they refine their legal arguments. "Students worked incredibly long hours on their legal arguments which they built-it is a great learning experience for students," said Brad Winkler. "I hope we can continue to build on our success these past two years of Moot Court. I was very proud of the quality of our team and believe we represented Aquinas well in the competition. It was a great experience to work with the group and see it pay off in oral arguments." |
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What AQ Students had to say about the Competition:
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| "The competition was an incredible challenge; I felt we pulled together as a team and represented Aquinas well." - Josh Davis |
| "I enjoyed being challenged to argue against some of the hardest teams in the country," - Michael Licari |
| "My favorite part of the competition was the actual argument portion. I enjoyed having the opportunity to present myself in front of real judges and have a true experience before entering law school." - Onyinye Ezeh |
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