Giles Rich Moot Court Competition


HIPLA will host the Southern Regional Competition of the 2025-2026 Giles S. Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition on March 13-14, 2026.

The competition is an annual inter-law school event sponsored by the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). It is named for the late Honorable Giles Sutherland Rich, Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Teams from law schools throughout the country are invited to compete in the Southern Regional held in Houston, Texas.  There is no entry fee for the competition.

All oral argument rounds for the Southern Regional will be held at the at the Bob Casey United States Courthouse located at 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002.

HIPLA MEMBERS: Please volunteer to grade briefs and judge oral arguments (see dates below).  We also have opportunities available for anyone interested in joining the moot court committee.  Please email Bobbie Horocofsky (bhorocofsky@polsinelli.com) if you can help. 

Competition Deadlines:

    ·        Priority deadline for submission of Notices of Intent to Compete: Friday, December 12, 2025 (11:00 pm Central)

    ·        All Notices of Intent to Compete must be submitted: Friday, January 9, 2026 (11:00 pm Central)

    ·        Briefs for Regional Rounds must be served: Monday, January 30, 2026 (11:00 pm Central)

    ·        Regional Rounds held in Houston: Friday, March 13 (Preliminary Round starts at 5 pm) and Saturday March 14, 2026 (Bracketed Rounds start at 10 am)

    Competition Documents:

    Competition Reception:

    A reception for all competitors, coaches, and volunteers in the Southern Regional will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026, upon completion of the Preliminary Round.  The reception will take place at a location in Downtown Houston; the exact location will be announced in advance of the competition.

    Hotel Recommendations:

    The following hotels are located in the vicinity of Downtown (note: no group rates provided).

    ·       JW Marriott Houston Downtown

    ·       Lancaster Hotel 

    ·       Hyatt Regency Houston Downtown 

    ·       C. Baldwin, Curio Collection by Hilton

    For more information, contact HIPLA Giles Rich Moot Court Chair Bobbie Horocofsky at bhorocofsky@polsinelli.com.


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