International Moot Court Program

What is an International Moot Court Competition?

These are interschool competitions that take place across the globe. In front of a mock International Tribunal, students act as counselors and advocate the different sides of a case based on a problem written by an organization or school. The students analyze the problem, identify the legal issues, research the law, write the briefs and orally present it to the moot court. In essence, the students learn how to litigate a case in front of an international tribunal doing what an attorney does in real life.

Application

Application for IMCP year 2023-2024 opens on March 11, and Tryouts will take place on March 23-24 in room A316d.

Note: To access the application, please use your law school credentials (ex:jsmith@law.miami.edu) and the associated password. If you have not previously reset your law password, your C number will be your password. You may also log in using your Canelink credentials (ex: cgcent\caneId) and the associated password. If you still have login issues, please contact the help desk at 305-284-5297 or visit room C-118 inside the law library.

Apply

  "Without a doubt, my participation has been the most fulfilling experience of my law   school career. My team invested a countless hours in preparation, which concluded in   a rewarding week of oral rounds at Universidad del Rosario in Bogota. I gained practical   experience and honed the analytical, research and oral advocacy skills that practicing attorneys   must have. Also, while in Bogota, I had the opportunity to meet and network with renowned professionals of international commercial arbitration and young aspiring lawyers from around the globe with whom I have formed friendships. I am certain that during the rest of my legal career I will continue to draw upon the skills and knowledge I obtained in the competition."
-Austrailia Alba, J.D. '14

Why Become a Member of this Program?

Students interested in having fun, while engaging in challenging litigation and international law experiences, are ideal for this program. Also, though it is not required, participation in the International Moot Court Board student organization is a great way to prepare for the International Moot Court Program. Through this program students:

• Develop effective advocacy techniques
• Participate in opportunities which improve analytical, research, and writing skills
• Become exposed to different cultures and legal systems
• Meet distinguished attorneys and judges that practice international law
• Create an international law network

Enhance their law school education through a hands-on, fun experience

"In preparation for the MOOTMadrid competition our team invested a great amount of time   and effort, which culminated in an exciting week of oral rounds at some of the most prestigious   law firms in Madrid. Representing our school in the competition gave us the opportunity to   network with distinguished professionals in the field of international arbitration and compete   alongside students from around the world. All in all, the competition was a thoroughly rewarding experience."
-Jessica Marroquin, J.D. '13
Associate, Baker McKenzie 

Program Requirements & Workshop

• 2L, 3L and LL.M. students may try out for the program
• Excellent advocacy skills or a desire to learn advocacy skills
• 3.0 GPA
• Good writing and research skills
• Though not required, other languages are a plus, especially Spanish and Portuguese

Workshop: Part of the International Moot Court Program is a workshop that provides students with the opportunity to refine their written and oral advocacy skills on international law litigation. The course covers basic concepts of international law, public and private, plus oral advocacy skills and research techniques. The workshop is worth 4 academic credits, divided into two semesters:

• 2 credits during the fall semester, where the grade is based on coursework
• 2 credits during the spring semester, where the grade is based on moot court competition preparation and performance
• Classes meet Fridays at 11:00 am in classroom F402.

See Program Website

• International Public Law

    "Participating on the IMCB's Jessup International Moot Court team was my most valued   experience throughout law school. I was given the opportunity to develop strong   relationships with professors, students, and attorneys in the South Florida community that are   passionate about Public International Law. I gained valuabe experience researching law,   drafting  legal arguments, and advocating. It was a rewarding experience that I am grateful to have been a part of for two years, and I will continue to draw upon the skills I learned."
  -Eloris Snyder, J.D. '10, Case Consultant, TransPerfect Legal Solutions, Houston

  EMC2 ELSA Moot Court Competition is a simulated hearing of the WTO dispute settlement system. Teams prepare and analyze fictive case and present their arguments both for the complainant and the respondent in front of a Panel which consists of WTO and trade law experts.

  The International and European Tax Moot Court is a direct response to this challenge of globalization. the main goal is to allow students from around the world, specializing in taxation, to sharpen their skills of oral presentation and written argumentation in a competitive international environment. It is organized by the European Tax College Foundation, Leuven, Belgium.

  Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world's largest moot court competition, with participants from over 550 law schools in more than 80 countries. The Competition takes place in March in Washington, D.C. and entails a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations.

  Susan J. Ferrell Moot Court Competition is a competition that takes place in Miami, FL. It revolves around a simulated court proceeding, in which teams representing both sides of the argument prepare written pleadings with respect to a fictional problem of international human rights law and policy, and present their arguments in an oral argument before the International Court of Justice.

• International Criminal Law

  International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Competition, held annually at Pace University School of Law in White Plains, NY, is now the official English language round for the ICC Trial Competition held in The Hague. Every year, the ICC Moot attracts some 60 teams from all over the world. The competition begins at the end of October and goes on until the end of May, when the final rounds take place in The Hague – ‘the Capital of International Peace’ – in the Netherlands.

  ICC Trial Competition takes place at The Hague in April. It is unique in its direct focus on ICC proceedings and international criminal law. The competition allows law students with a common interest in international criminal law to come together, meet other budding lawyers from around the world in an exciting and fun setting and to meet highly respected legal figures in international criminal law.

• International Human Rights Law

   "I felt very excited and proud of our performance in the Inter-American Competition in D.C.,   and we left the competition with the confidence that we represented ourselves, our school, and   even our country, in a wonderful light. The comments from the judges in each of our 3   preliminary rounds also supported our confidence - we were told we had great poise, knew the   arguments very well, made excellent eye contact with the judges, were respectful and yet, forceful and confident with our arguments. I had an overall wonderful experience and we were very pleased with our performance at the competition. We also met many great and interesting students and even made some truly great friends."
  -Julia Kosinski

  Price Media Law Moot Court Programme takes place in January in New York City and is more than a moot court. More broadly, the Moot Court Programme is also a tool for raising the profile of freedom of expression by bringing informed and effective debate and discussion on significant issues of information flows and technology to many parts of the world.

  Inter-American Human Rights Competition occurrs in Washington, D.C. and was established to train attorneys on how to use the Inter-American human rights legal system as a legitimate forum for redressing human rights violations.

• International Investment Law

  Foreign Direct Investment Arbitration Moot - This moot helps future lawyers attain a practical understanding of these issues. The case and hearings offer a unique forum for academics and practitioners from around the world to discuss developments - and assess emerging talents. 

  Frankfurt Investment Arbitration Moot Court - This international student competition focusing on investment protection which takes place each March in Frankfurt, Germany. The students present their arguments orally before tribunals of arbitration compose of investment treaty specialists.

• International Commercial Arbitration Law

   

   "My experience with Vis was also the best experience of my law school career. I have to say I   was a bit intimidated; however, with months of practice from three stellar coaches as well   as  learning from and being encouraged by my teammates we eventually formed into a very   strong group of competitors.I thought it was the best way to learn a subject [arbitration],   because it was through practical application. However, beyond the academic endeavor, what I loved most about participating in Vis was competing with, interacting with and becoming friends with fellow competitors from around the world. We also we able to meet numerous teams again and again and establish lasting relationships with them."
  -Kevin Huber, J.D. '11, Associate, WilmerHale, London

  Willem C. Vis Arbitral Moot - Each year in Vienna, Austria, the goal of this competition is to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for resolution of international business disputes. The competition applies a concrete problem of a client and to train law leaders of tomorrow in methods of alternative dispute resolution. The competition starts during the month of October and is open to participants from all over the world.

  La Competición Internacional de Arbitraje y Derecho Mercantil (Moot Madrid) -  Esta competicion tiene diversos objetivos que giran en torno a la formación de los estudiantes de Derecho en cuestiones relativas al Derecho Uniforme del Comercio Internacional y su resolución mediante el Arbitraje Mercantil Internacional.

  La Competencia UBA-Rosario International Commercial Arbitration (The University of Buenos Aires and University of the Rosario September, Buenos Aires, Argentina) - Es una propuesta educativa con formato competitivo, cuyo proposito es fomentar el estudio del derecho comercial internacional y el arbitraje como método de resolucion de conflictos.

• International Maritime Law

  International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot - This  is a moot court competition for law students  to provide the students an opportunity to develop knowledge in maritime arbitration and to develop their abilities to persuade as well as their written and oral advocatory techniques. The International Moot Competition on Maritime Arbitration (IMCMA) is held every year either in the UK, Australia, or Singapore. The language of the IMCMA is English.

   "I was selected to participate in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration   Moot -­ the world's largest and most prestigious international arbitration moot competition. Last   year's moot attracted 296 schools from 67 countries. And, for the first time in the school's   history, the Miami Team advanced all the way to the round of 16. I am particularly proud of this   success, as I argued three out of the four preliminary rounds, and all of the elimination rounds in which we participated. Moreover, I was nominated co-editor of our written submissions, one of which received an honorable mention out of the 295 submitted! Without a doubt, my participation in international moot court has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my law school career. First, I have advanced my written and oral advocacy skills to a level that I didn't think was possible. Second, and somewhat more importantly, this experience has introduced me to an entirely new field of law."
-Bianca Olivadoti, J.D. '14, Associate, McCusker, Anselmi, Rosen, & Carvelli, P.C., New York

"My experience with the UM International Moot Court Board gave me unparalleled practical experience. Through the competitions, I strengthened my substantive knowledge of international law and sharpened my litigation skills. The training received through the program gave me a greater awareness of my body language and vocal style and taught me to play to my strengths in order to persuade. These skills were essential in being honored in International competitions but are also skills that are useful in an interview settings. It furthermore gave me an opportunity to meet many like-minded students from around the world and to meet impressive professionals in the fields of law that most interest me. The two competitions I participated in (VIS and MOOTMadrid) were essential in helping me secure my current employment. They allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge of International Arbitration in a global setting in both English and Spanish."
-Diogo Pereira, Associate, Paul Hastings, Washington, DC

"It was a tremendous to have a chance to argue in a language other than my primary language which is Portuguese. I have learned during the entire process, since we started to do the research, we really studied in depth the international conventions like the CIGS, the Ottawa Convention, the UNCITRAL Model Law, among others. In Madrid, we met students from all over the world and were able to fell what it is to be part of an international arbitral proceeding. The arbitrators were very professional and in certain occasions even tough on us, but it is all part of the learning experience. Simply awesome!"
-Juliana Lopes Leitte, J.D./LL.M. '10, Juliana Leitte, P.A.

Program Director and More Information

Professor Paula Arias, an expert in dispute resolution in Latin America, leads the International Moot Court Program (IMCP).

Contact at parias@law.miami.edu
Office G-488

IMCP Facebook
IMCP Instagram
IMCP LinkedIn

Visit the Program Website