Bailiff Volunteer Form – Oct. 2019 Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition

Thank you for your interest in serving as a bailiff for the annual Elon Law Billings, Exum & Frye National Moot Court Competition on Friday, October 11, and Saturday, October 12. We have 42 teams from 28 law schools across the country competing, and the bailiffs make sure each round runs smoothly for our competitors. Your participation is crucial to the success of the competition, and the Moot Court Board is very appreciative of your support.

Each oral argument round lasts approximately 60 minutes, with a short break between rounds. If your schedule allows, we would encourage you to sign up for two rounds. We will try to give every volunteer the opportunity to judge at least one round, but if space allows, you will be assigned the two rounds of your choice. PLEASE SIGN UP BELOW by Friday, Sept. 27.

Serving as a bailiff is a great way to get involved in Moot Court as a 1L student and to see what it is all about. Later in your 1L year, you will present an oral argument similar to the one presented by the competitors, so this will give you an excellent opportunity to learn by observing the competitors while you bailiff. Some LMC professors require their students to serve as bailiffs, while others strongly encourage participation. In addition, the Moot Court Board will hold a drawing for the Friday morning, afternoon and evening sessions, and the Saturday morning session (four $25 gift cards; volunteers receive one entry per session they volunteer and can win multiple cards).

We request that each bailiff arrive at least fifteen minutes before his or her scheduled round. You will receive more information about where and when to report several days ahead of the round. There is also MANDATORY TRAINING for bailiffs to make sure we have shared all of the necessary information with you and you are well prepared for the event. To briefly summarize their duties, bailiffs act as the administrator for oral argument rounds. Before the round, they make sure the competitors are situated and ready to begin and that the judges have score sheets on the bench, escort the judges to the courtroom and call the case before the Court. During the rounds, bailiffs keep the time for the oral argument, informing the competitors of their time by displaying a card when there is five, three, and one minute remaining. When time has expired, the bailiff will hold a card that says ‘STOP.’ At the end of the round, bailiffs adjourn the court, collect score sheets from the judges and clear the courtroom. Each bailiff will receive an instruction sheet, as well as the training session.

If you have any questions, please contact the bailiff committee chairs: Jaclyn McKeon (jmckeon4@elon.edu) and Karah Yager (kyager2@elon.edu).

We appreciate your assistance on the BEF Competition.

All the best,

Dean Woodlief