Basic Format of the Competition

During the Preliminary and Semifinal Rounds of competition, each team shall have a maximum of thirty (30) minutes to complete the session.

During the Championship Round of competition, each team shall have a maximum of forty (40) minutes to complete the session.

The session must include both a consultation session with the client and a post-consultation.

THE CONSULTATION (INTERVIEW). Each team must conduct a consultation with the client during which the student lawyers are expected to elicit the relevant information, outline the problem, identify issues (both legal and non-legal) and propose a solution or other means to resolve the problem. (See Standards for Judging in your team material links below under Preparation Materials for more specific direction.)

POST-CONSULTATION (THE WRAP-UP). Each team must also conduct a meaningful post-consultation discussion between the attorneys after the client has left the room. Failure to conduct a post-consultation discussion shall result in disqualification. The teams may not leave the interview room between the consultation and the post-consultation. During this post consultation the student lawyers may review the facts, point out facts which have been omitted, offer a self-critique, comment on the substance, plan strategy, divide work, write a letter, dictate a memorandum, or otherwise use the time creatively. Judges should not ask questions during this phase of the competition.

The teams may confer privately if needed and then make a presentation to the judges. The students may either talk together loudly enough to be overheard by the judges or they may dictate a file memorandum on the interview or both.

The post-consultation performance may (a) summarize the interview, (b) indicate the scope of the legal work to be undertaken, or (c) state the legal issues that should be researched. An explanation of the position or attitude taken by the student lawyers may be useful, including the jurisdictional differences in the law. For example, it may appear to a “spectator” that the lawyers were a bit hostile to the client during the interview. The post-consultation performance might explain the purpose of such hostility.

The student lawyers may feel that some documentation is appropriate at this stage and should be dictated at this point. For example, the lawyers may want to write a letter to the client confirming their retention, the fee arrangement, etc. Or it may be appropriate, at the conclusion of the interview, for the student lawyers to write a letter to opposing counsel or to the party with whom the client is having his or her legal problem. Such a document may be dictated during this post-consultation period.

Room Arrangements and Lists of Permitted and Prohibited Items

During the interview and the post-consultation, a team may use books, notes, and substantive materials. A team may also use small office props (dictaphones, files, coffee cups, desktop furnishings, etc.). Students may arrange the table and chairs as they wish within reason and must put them back in place when the round is over.

The following items are permitted / prohibited in the competition room or on the counsel table as part of the interview:

Day of Competition Information / Memorandum

On the day a team is scheduled to compete in the preliminary rounds, they will receive an email with the Client Memo for that evening’s competition rounds. We have it set to auto-send at 9:00 am for the teams on Day 1 of Preliminaries, and then at 9:00 am for the teams on Day 2 of Preliminaries (and so on). This way all teams receive the same information with the same amount of time prior to the competition. Be sure to keep both the Memorandum A N D the information garnered from your rounds secure until after ALL preliminary rounds have ended.

For advancing rounds, the Client Memo will be sent out in advance dependent on time available – anywhere from one day to a few days. You will receive an email if you are an advancing team that will state when you will receive the memo for an advancing round.

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE FALL 2025 UPDATE – Teams may check-in via a sign-in sheet in the Pavilion 15 minutes prior to their round start time. Members of the CC Board will be on-hand during check-in, and throughout the evening, for any questions that may arise.

Preparation Materials

In addition to these documents, it is highly recommended that you also view videos of prior Illinois national and world-winning teams. You may go to the Videos tab on this site or simply click here. There is also a link on the video page to the info/demo session video with helpful tips on the upcoming competition.