Trial Advocacy Student Opportunities

Students interested in criminal and civil litigation, or trial advocacy have numerous opportunities to gain experience and/or network with peers with similar interests, including:

Clinics

  • Juvenile Defenders Clinic -- Students defend children in Boston Juvenile Court and hearings with state agencies.
  • Suffolk Defenders Clinic -- Students defend clients charged with misdemeanors and felonies in Boston Municipal Court.
  • Suffolk Prosecutors Clinic -- Students represent the Commonwealth in criminal cases under the supervision of an assistant district attorney.

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

This journal is edited by the Moot Court Honor Board through which Suffolk University Law School presents new legal thought and authoritative opinion to the profession.

Student organizations

  • Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys

Moot Court Competition Teams

Suffolk Law is nationally recognized for its moot court and mock trial teams. Students on mock trial competition teams prepare and present appellate arguments before volunteer judges and judicial panels—both within Suffolk Law and around the country in competitions against other law schools. Suffolk Law also fields multiple teams to prepare for moot arbitration and moot negotiation competitions, including the IP LawMeet and the FDI International Moot Competition, a prestigious international negotiation competition co-founded by Suffolk Law.

National Trial Team

Suffolk Law’s National Trial Team repeatedly proves that it is the best in New England, winning 29 of the past 34 New England regional championships (since 1985).

Concentration Requirement

All Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration students are required to take at least one clinical course or an externship.

  • All clinical offerings qualify to satisfy this requirement. Participation in a clinical program requires application and acceptance during the spring prior to the academic year in which the clinical program will be taken. 
  • Externships must be approved by the externship director and the Trial and Appellate Advocacy Concentration faculty director. Externships must include regular client contact to be considered for approval.