The 2019/2020 moot courts’ season officially opened in December. This is a very exciting event as it offers a great challenge, and opportunity for some of the Master of Laws (LL.M.) students from the University of Luxembourg, who are supported by their coaches, Professors and the Faculty’s partner and international law firm, Clifford Chance.
The 2019/2020 moot courts’ season officially opened in December. This is a very exciting event as it offers a great challenge, and opportunity for some of the Master of Laws (LL.M.) students from the University of Luxembourg, who are supported by their coaches, Professors and the Faculty’s partner and international law firm, Clifford Chance.
Moot Court Competitions constitute an extracurricular activity at many law schools, including the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF), University of Luxembourg. They allow students to apply the knowledge acquired in the classroom and practice it in a simulated court environment. For the students it is a journey that is a long tradition in the legal world.
The Moot Court Competition can help the students to become increasingly comfortable formulating arguments and expressing them in front of judges, essential skills for an attorney. By June 2020, when the closing of the competition takes place, for those who have gone the distance, the journey will have provided a unique bonding experience for students and teams that will endure throughout a lifetime.
This year the University of Luxembourg will compete against universities across Europe and the world in seven competitions:
- Tax Law Moot Court
- European Law Moot Court (ELMC)
- René Cassin Moot Court
- Jessup Moot Court
- Manfred Lachs Moot Court (Space law)
- Price Media Law Moot Court (media law)
- International Criminal Court Moot Court
This is the largest number of teams the University has put together to date – representing 30 students and 14 coaches. Teams are coached by junior researchers (doctoral candidates and post-doctoral researchers). Each team is also assigned a supervising professor and the overall activities are coordinated by Associate Prof. Aikaterini Pantazatou.
As in previous years, the Luxembourg students’ participation in moot court competitions is supported by the Luxembourg office of the international law firm Clifford Chance, one of the world’s pre-eminent law firms with 33 offices in 23 countries and 3,300 lawyers. It is also one of the leading law firms in Luxembourg with a strong team of eight partners and 80 lawyers. Clifford Chance’s Luxembourg practice includes dedicated teams with experience in areas of corporate, M&A, banking and finance, capital markets, investment funds, litigation, employment and tax.
Clifford Chance has supported the University’s moot court teams for several years, contributing funds for traveling and the accommodation of the students. In addition, the firm’s lawyers act as judges during mock pleadings hosted by Clifford Chance. This is a unique experience for the students as they gain invaluable feedback on their performance.