Thema: Brand New - JFV Grotius

arbitrators presided by a Partner with 35 years of experience in the
field. Tension and nerves do not come close to cover the intense
emotions we felt sitting in front of the arbitral panel.
Having managed to complete our respective pleadings without
fainting, vomiting or crying, we felt ready to enter into a Pre-Moot
organised by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (“PCA”) in The
Hague. Two of our team members - Michelle Wever & Susan
Hekman - came face to face with two other members of the team
representing the Institut de Sciences Politiques de Paris. A team
which, by the way, we were to encounter again and befriend once
we got to Vienna.
Both of these Pre-Moots made one thing clear to us: the
competition was going to be intense. Most of the participating
Universities had accumulated considerable experience by having
send teams to Vienna for many years. Moreover, the Willem C Vis
Moot Court, itself, is considered to be the olympics of international
trade law. Despite its humble beginnings, the Vis Moot grew to
become one of the most prestigious moot competitions in the
world. Just last year, 233 teams from all over the world flushed the
streets of Vienna out to draw blood. But the opening night of the
Moot Court was, on the surface, all fun and games. It was no secret,
however, that all teams were going to spend the whole night
preparing for their very first battle. We were no exception. As soon
as the formalities were ended, we rushed back to our appartment
and kept at it the whole night. For the next four days - and sleepless
nights - we mooted against the University of Frankfurt (DE),
Miami (USA), Rostock (DE) and Free State (ZA).
It was then that the 64 best teams were announced and, to our
surprise and disappointment, we did not go through to the next
round. We did not pack our bags, though. Instead, we set out to
discover the beautiful city of Vienna and explore the world of
international commercial arbitration. All major local law firms
had organised informal gatherings for the numerous specialists,
practitioners and notables that flock to Vienna every year for a
whole week on account of the Moot. Since Houthoff Buruma had
arranged for office space at a partner-firm - CHSH Cerha Hempel
Spiegelfeld Hlawati - in Vienna, we were able to attend most of
these gatherings. Moreover, we and the other 168 teams no longer
in the competition, had Vienna at our feet - or better yet, our
mercy. In the remaining 4 days, we celebrated, mourned and, last
but not least, exchanged business cards - with likely employers -
and Facebook adresses - with new friends.
It’s been a couple of months, but it still feels like it all took place.
For us all, the moot court figures as one of the most unique and
intense experience of our student years. Within a few months we
got to taste life as a lawyer and put all we learned in the University
halls in practice. We had to build up a case from scratch in a
previously unknown area of law. It was exhilirating. Not only was
it a learning process on academic level, we, as future professionals,
acquired new skills indispensable to a career of international
proportions. Just the mere fact of having worked so closely and
intensely within a team of strong individuals with diverse
backgrounds brought us that much closer to an understanding of
what it takes to be a succesfull lawyer. Not to mention, the fact that
we developed strong personal relationships with one another that
will only continue to grow as time goes by. Outside of our team, we
also got to develop a network of contacts in the field we attend to
make our careers in. That is the true power of new experiences.
Our participation was for the University a first step on a new road.
Anybody ready to take on a new experience, new challenges and a
new chapter in their lawbook should definitely join the team for
the upcoming Moot. Mrs. Koppenol-LaForce will soon post more
information on BlackBoard through her new course International
and Financial Business Law.
2008-2009 Leiden University Willem C Vis Moot Team
Olave Basabose, Başak Küçük, Susan Hekman and Michelle
Wever
Moot Court NOVUM Maandblad van de Juridische Faculteitsvereniging Grotius
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