Earning Academic Credit

Students who compete in lawyering skills competitions are eligible to receive academic credit in the form of an activity credit. Check how many credits for activities count toward graduation requirements and see the Pitt Law credit hour calculation policy for further details. 

Interscholastic Competitions 

Students who participate in interscholastic competitions (moot court, mock trial, and transactional) may receive one activity credit for their participation. To receive an activity credit, competitors must engage in 42.5 hours of substantive activity and track their hours in the manner directed by their coaches. 

Regardless of whether the interscholastic competition takes place in the fall or spring semester, competitors will be registered and will receive the activity credit in the spring semester. The Moot Court Director and the Mock Trial Director will provide the names of all competitors for the academic year in a timely fashion for spring semester registration. 

After a competition has ended, the Moot Court Director or Mock Trial Director will ask the coach(es) to confirm that the competitors have completed the required 42.5 hours. After receiving this confirmation, the Moot Court Director or Mock Trial Director will notify the Registrar that the students registered for the competition have met the hours requirement. That notification to the Registrar will result in a grade of S (Satisfactory). 

Intramural Competitions

Students who participate in the Appellate Competition or the Murray S. Love Mock Trial Competition may receive one activity credit for their participation. No academic credit is available for participating in the Ronald D. Ecker Memorial Negotiation and Client Counseling Competition. 

Regardless of whether the intramural competition takes place in the fall or spring semester, competitors will be registered and will receive the activity credit in the spring semester.  

Students who are enrolled in Federal Appellate Advocacy Class and participate in the Appellate Competition are not eligible to receive an activity credit. Instead, these students receive credit due to their enrollment in Federal Appellate Advocacy, for which participation in the first round of the Appellate Competition is required. 

Students who are not enrolled in Federal Appellate Advocacy Class and participate in the Appellate Competition, following all competition rules, are eligible to receive an activity credit. 

All students who participate in the Murray S. Love Mock Trial Competition, following all competition rules, are eligible to receive an activity credit. The Murray S. Love Competition Rules, which are available each year when Murray S. Love Competition registration opens, contain detailed information about academic credit. Students should review the Rules to fully understand credit eligibility. 

After a competition has ended, the Moot Court Board Chair will provide the faculty advisors with the list of participants who are eligible for an activity credit. The Moot Court Board Chair and faculty advisors will jointly notify the Registrar that these students have met the requirements. That notification to the Registrar will result in a grade of S (satisfactory).