Moot Court

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This elective course offers participation in a moot court,a teaching component focused on the preparation of written and oral submissions before a court or tribunal and improvement of the substantive knowledge of the participants in the subject areas of the selected moot court.

A moot court is a simulation of a judicial proceeding. It revolves around a fictitious case in which the participating students act as lawyers before a simulated court or arbitral body. The case involves complex legal and factual questions. Students are usually grouped in teams of 3-5 students. The number of students depends on the requirements of the individual moot court competition. The teams are assigned to represent both of the parties to the dispute. The moot court involves both a written and an oral component,as the participants will be required to draft written memorials and to participate in oral hearings. During the final international oral rounds, students plead the case of their designated party against students from other law schools in front of experts who acts as judges or arbiters in the international competition. In many competitions, students have the chance to receive prices not only for winning the competition, but also for the best memorial and best individual pleadings.

This course offers and requires participation in a moot court competition that corresponds to a 20 SP course in terms of its scope and difficulty. Students may participate in a moot court competition of their choice. Whether a competition fulfils these requirements is determined by the person who is responsible for the course.

Examples of moot courts that are recognized as fulfilling the requirements are the following:

The Philipp C. Jessup Moot Court Competition, also known as the Jessup, is the oldest and largest, international law moot competition in the world, attracting participants from more than 700 law schools from more than 100 countries. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute in the field of public international law between countries before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The final rounds take place in Washington D.C. (USA).

The Telders International Moot Court Competition is the oldest and largest international law moot court in Europe. Students from more than 80 universities from 30 European countries participate each year. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute in the field of public international law between countries before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The final rounds take place in Leiden and The Hague (Netherlands). The two finalist teams plead for the final round in the Peace Palace, before a panel of judges normally comprising ICJ judges.

The ICC Moot Court Competition is simulating the proceedings of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Competition consists of an extensive six-day educational and social program, which brings together students of diverse backgrounds and cultures to The Hague to challenge their skills as future international lawyers. The final round is expected to take place in an actual ICC courtroom with ICC judges adjudicating.

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition is the biggest and most prestigious moot court in the field of international commercial law attracting more than 300 law schools from all over the world. The case for the moot court is always based on an international sales transaction subjected to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) and involves procedural issues of arbitration. The final rounds take place in Vienna (Austria).

The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) annual EEA Law Moot Court Competition is a moot court in the field of EEA law with participating students from primarily Icelandic and Norwegian universities act as advocates representing different parties in a fictional EEA law case. The international final rounds finals of the competition will usually alternate each year between Iceland and Norway.

The Nordic Human Rights Moot Court Competition(Nordisk prosedyrekonkurranse i menneskerettigheter) is a moot court in the field of international human rights with participating students from the Nordic countries, including Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. The moot court evolves around a fictitious case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The written part of the competition lasts from January-February to May, and the final rounds are held in June, in one of the Nordic capitals.

The International Bar Association International Criminal Court Moot Court Competition (IBA ICCMCC) is a large-scale moot court simulating the proceedings of the International Criminal Court. The Competition consists of an extensive seven-day educational and social program, which brings together students of diverse backgrounds and cultures in The Hague to challenge their skills as future international lawyers before panels of legal experts in the field of international criminal law.

The Nuremberg Moot Court is an international competition, held in English in Nuremberg, Germany. University teams from all over the world are invited to argue a fictitious case before the "International Criminal Court" during the competition.

The European Law Moot Court is an annual international competition that is held between University teams of students who have an interest in European Union Law.

The course JUS5042 entails a comprehensive two-semester program, including a joint teaching component for all teams in oral and written advocacy, preparation for the written and oral stage for the individual teams, and participation in the international rounds of the moot court competition.

Participation in moot courts will be intensive and time consuming, so please consider if your participation is compatible with your other curricular and extra-curricular activities and commitments.

For students enrolled in JFM5-RV: Have you considered a specialization as part of your degree? The course is part of the profile Konflikthåndtering og prosess, tvist og straff.