Board Applications

Membership on the Board of Advocates is based on the process below, as codified in the Board of Advocates By-Laws. Students in their second year are invited to sit on the Board of Advocates based on a holistic application that looks at a student’s success in the Law Center’s many different internal and external advocacy opportunities.

All students seeking membership on next year’s board, including students who believe they receive automatic board membership, must submit an application. (Members of the 2L class who are in joint degree programs and who will not complete their J.D. in the 2024-2025 academic year should discuss their particular situation with Prof. Brooks prior to submission of an application form.)

Applications for membership on the 2024-2025 Board of Advocates are now open. Members of the 2L class can submit their application at this link: 2024-2025 Board of Advocates Application Form. Applications must be submitted no later than March 25, 2024 at 5:00 pm.

Automatic Board Membership for Class of 2024

The following students will automatically receive invitations to sit on the Board of Advocates:

The 4 finalists in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition
The 2 “Best Brief” award winners in the Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition
Any 2L students who were finalists in the Fall Ira S. Flory Mock Trial Competition (a maximum of 4 students)
Any 2L students who are finalists in the Spring Ira S. Flory Mock Trial Competition (a maximum of 4 students)
Any 2L students who are finalists in the Transactional Competition (a maximum of 4 students)
Any 2L students who are finalists in the Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition (a maximum of 2 students)

Note: Students who are automatically eligible for Board membership must still submit the online application linked above.

Membership by Application for Class of 2025

The Preis PLC Director of Advocacy and Professional Practice will invite additional students to sit on the Board of Advocates based on the point criteria set forth as follows. Interested students will fill out an online application in which they provide the below information.

Internal Competition Score (to be provided by the Preis PLC Director of Advocacy and Professional Practice): An applicant’s starting base score shall be determined based on their highest individual average score from any of the internal competitions in which that student participated as compared to the overall average preliminary rounds score for that competition.
1. A student whose highest average individual score placed in the top 1/3 of that competition shall receive 15 BMPs, or
2. A student whose highest individual average score placed in the middle 1/3 of that competition shall receive 10 BMPs, or
3. A student whose highest individual average score placed in the bottom 1/3 of that competition shall receive 5 BMPs, or
4. A student who did not compete in any internal competitions shall receive 0 (zero) BMPs.

Internal Competition Participation: The applicant shall receive 2 BMPs for each additional Advocacy Programs internal competitions the applicant competed in as an “attorney.” (Serving as a witness, bailiff, or timekeeper in your second year does not count for this section and should be listed under Volunteering below. Witnesses for Flory teams who advanced will receive additional BMPs for each time their team advanced.) The applicant will receive 2 BMPs for each internal competition they participated in after their first competition (for example, a student who competed in 3 internal competitions their 2L year would receive 4 BMPs in this category).
1. Fall Flory Trial Competition (2 BMPs)
2. Robert Lee Tullis Moot Court Competition (2 BMPs)
3. Spring Flory Trial Competition (2 BMPs)
4. Dean’s Cup Moot Court Competition (2 BMPs)
5. Transactional Competition (2 BMPs)

Internal Competition Advancement: The applicant shall receive 2 BMPs for each time their team advanced in any internal Advocacy Programs Competition. (For example, an applicant that advanced once in the Fall Flory Trial Competition and advanced once in the Transactional Competition would receive 4 BMPs.). (If you are a witness for the advancing internal competition team in your second year, you will receive the advancement BMPS with the “attorney” members).

Membership on External Advocacy Teams: The applicant shall receive 10 BMPs for being selected to participate on any external advocacy team. If the applicant is selected to participate on a second external team, he or she will receive an additional 10 BMPs. (For example, if you participate in two separate external teams, one in the Fall and one in the Spring, you will receive 20 BMPs). External team alternates shall receive 5 BMPs.
- Note: The Preis PLC Director of Advocacy and Professional Practice has the discretion to revoke the external team membership BMPs if a member does not fulfill all of his or her responsibilities of external team membership, including, but not limited to, attending practices and submitting quality written submissions for competition.

External Team Advancement & Awards:

The applicant shall receive 4 BMPs for each time their external team advanced at their external competition. For example, an applicant whose team wins a national championship shall receive 4 BMPs for each time they advanced (4 BMPs for advancing to octofinals, 4 BMPs for quarterfinals, 4 BMPs for semifinals, and 4 points for winning the championship, for a total of 16 BMPs.)
The applicant shall also receive 4 BMPs for each award received by their team that reflects the applicant’s contribution to the team (i.e.; an applicant shall receive 4 BMPs for a team award such as Best Brief or if they themselves win a Best Individual Oralist award, but they shall not receive any BMPs if one of their teammates wins a Best Individual Oralist award.)

Program Volunteering: A student shall receive 1 BMP for each time they volunteered for the program in their second year as an external competition witness, timekeeper, bailiff, or any other role.