The six William Paterson students who took part in the first Annual William Paterson Collegiate Moot Court Competition (CMCC) have had an opportunity to stand before a real judge, argue a real case, and experience, first-hand, the trials and tribulations of the law profession.

The new event is sponsored by the William Paterson University Foundation and is coordinated by Russell J. Fishkind, Esq., a member of the Foundation Board of Directors, and an attorney with Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer of Woodbridge.

“The Moot Court Competition was organized to help highlight the William Paterson University Pre-Law Program, to engage students in a competitive, educational and fun
atmosphere with colleagues from other universities, and hopefully to mark the
event as the first annual William Paterson University Moot Court Competition,” Fishkind says.  “In succeeding years we hope to have numerous universities joining the competition.”

The students work on their own to prepare their case. They must prepare a written brief in which they must cite other cases to make a compelling argument for their side. At the court, they each have five minutes to present their case orally.

“Learning in a class room environment is critical, but some thrive on more
hands-on learning,” Fishkind reports.  “A moot court gets the students involved in writing their own brief, preparing for oral argument and working with a teammate.  Nothing gets the blood flowing like arguing in front of an audience, judges and adversaries.”

“Although the students argued a real case, Rumsfeld vs. F.A.I.R., they were not judged on whether they were right or wrong, but who was the best advocate for their side,” explains Stephen R. Shalom, professor of political science at William Paterson and acting pre-law advisor. “The most valuable part of the process was the constructive criticism the students received from the judges and Mr. Fishkind who heard their cases.”  Each student was critiqued on his or her performance. Comments included the need to make eye contact, not speaking in a monotone, and not displaying nervous habits such as tapping the desk, or jingling change in a pocket.

This year, the competition included six teams, three from William Paterson, and three from Montclair State University (MSU). A team from MSU won first place, while the William Paterson team of Rob Feld and Matt Gettler took the second place prize of $1,500 each.

In addition to the Foundation, and Wilentz, Goldman, and Spitzer, contributors included Greenbaum Rowe Smith, Wilkin and Guttenplan and the Russell Berrie Foundation.