INTERNSHIPS, MOOTS & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Moot Courts

Moot Courts

Overview

NYU School of Law teams have had great success in an array of international law moot courtcompetitions. These include: 

What follows is a brief overview of the highlights of NYU’s performance in each of these competitions; for more information about the moot as well as details of the selection process, please click on the tabs on the right.

The Law School has a long history of participation at the Phillip C. Jessup Moot, the pre-eminent international law moot court competition, which culminates in final rounds, held in conjunction with the American Society of International Law annual meeting in Washington DC. Selection of the Jessup team takes place under the auspices of the Law School’s Moot Court Board.

In 2000, a new chapter opened when a team from NYU entered, and won, the English language section of the Concours Jean Pictet, an international humanitarian law competition cosponsored by the Swedish Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. In 2006, Natalie Morris, an LLM student, was awarded the Gilbert-Apollis Prize.

In 2001, NYU was represented for the first time at the Concours Charles Rousseau, in which the briefs are written in French and the entire oral argument takes place in French. The team, comprising two intrepid Anglophones and one Francophone, coached by Nicolas Burniat, an LL.M. student from Belgium, reached the final round, in oral arguments held at the International Court of Justice. Their overall fourth place was easily the best performance by a team not from a Francophone country.

In 2003 the NYU teams performed creditably in the European Law Moot Court and in the ELSA-WTO moot court. In the former, the NYU team won the regional round held in Portugal, and represented the region at the final round held at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. In the latter, held at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, the NYU team placed second.

At the 13th edition of the 49-country, 156-team Willem C Vis Moot (Vienna), the NYU team advanced to the quarter-finals, narrowly losing to the eventual winners. The team, consisting of Joanna McGinley, Sharlotte Fan and Quang Trinh was awarded an honorable mention for its Claimant’s Memorandum; Joanna and Quang were also awarded individual honorable mentions as outstanding oralists.  In 2006-2007, the NYU team turned in another good performance, securing an honorable mention for its claimant’s memorial. Phillip Groz and Ramona Vijeyarasa also received individual honorable mentions.

The NYU team has also performed consistently in the Willem C Vis (East) Competition held in Hong Kong. The team for 2005-2006, was chosen 1st runners-up for the award for Best Respondent’s Memorandum. In a much bigger field, the team for 2006-2007, reached the quarter-finals, and was awarded an honorable mention for its claimant’s memorandum. All four members of the team, Rashida Allie, Wangui Kaniaru, Jeena Shah and Stacia Sowerby were also awarded individual honorable mentions.

Finally, participating for the first time in the 15th edition of Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, the NYU team recorded a good showing, placing 3rd overall in the Regional Round.

The Hauser Global Law School Program provides funding to J.D. and LL.M. students to participate in Moot Court competitions. For more information, click here.