Linden Cup

An Appellate Advocacy Competition

Linden Cup is a student-run oral appellate advocacy competition among Gonzaga law students. Linden Cup takes place during the spring semester.

NOTE: Students sign up through the Moot Court Honors Counsel during the fall semester.

What to Expect

• The competition is open to second- and third-year students.
• Students who want to get a taste of appellate advocacy in a formal setting (including first-year students), are encouraged to serve on the Moot Court Council or as bailiffs during the competitions.

At the Competition

• Working in pairs, participating students research and prepare an oral argument to be presented before mock appellate tribunals.
• In the oral arguments, students are judged on their forensic performance, including their success in answering questions, their conviction, their knowledge of the record, issues and law, and their courtroom demeanor.
• The panels of judges in the early rounds are composed of faculty and local attorneys.
• Local judges officiate in the quarter- and semi-finals.
• State Supreme Court justices officiate in the final round.