The Ames Moot Court Competition
One of the oldest and most distinguished appellate advocacy competitions in the United States, the Ames Moot Court Competition culminates in a final round argued before a bench of eminent jurists.
The Competition is administered each year by the Board of Student Advisers.
About The Competition
Three rounds across two years
Teams advance through three rounds of argument over the course of their 2L and 3L years. Each round centers on an original appellate problem set in the fictional State of Ames that presents unsettled questions of law. Select a Round below to learn more.
Qualifying Round
A two-part written and oral competition open to all second-year HLS students.
Semi-Final Round
Four advancing teams brief and argue before a panel of distinguished judges.
Final Round
The two finalist teams argue before a distinguished bench in one of the most anticipated events of the HLS year.
A Tradition Since 1911
Founded through a bequest from Dean James Barr Ames and interrupted only by the two World Wars, the Ames Competition remains one of Harvard Law School’s oldest and most distinguished traditions. Its Final Round is argued before a bench of distinguished jurists, including in recent years Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor and Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar.
Reaching the Final Round is considered one of the School’s highest honors, and winning teams are memorialized on bronze plaques in the Langdell Hall Reading Room.
(2026)
The Ames Brief Archive
Problems and briefs from past competitions, available as a resource for current competitors and students interested in appellate advocacy.
The Archive →Questions about the Competition?
Email the Ames Committee at [email protected].