Preparation of several groups of students, previously selected, to participate on international moot court competitions Willem C. Vis Internacional Comercial Arbitration Moot, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, FIA Moot and Moot Madrid.
The Moots where Universidad Carlos III de Madrid participates encompass time frames that are partially coincident, but different. They also are run by different organizations, cover different legal topics, and their language also varies, thus:
- The ¿Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot¿ takes place between the months of October and March/April (depending on the dates of Eastern vacation), and is organized by Pace University, New York, with the support of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The final stage takes place in Vienna. The topics are International Arbitration and International Sales Law. Its language is English. Information on this competition can be found in:
http://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/vis.html
The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is organized by the International Law Students Association (ILSA) with the support of White & Case. It begins in September, and the international rounds in Washington take place between March and April. However, only teams that qualify from the national rounds, which take place several weeks before the international rounds, will advance to these rounds. Information about the competition can be found at: https://www.ilsa.org/about-jessup/
- Moot Madrid takes place between the months of January and May/June (though the calendar may change in the future), and it is organized by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, with the support of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The final stage takes place in Madrid. The topics are International Arbitration and International Uniform Law for International Transactions. Its language is Spanish. Information on this competition can be found in:
http://www.mootmadrid.es/
- FIA Moot takes place between the months of September and March, and is organized by the Merton Zentrum für Europäische Integration und Internationale Wirschaftsordnung. The final stage takes place in Frankfurt. The topics are Investment Arbitration. Its language is English. Information on this competition can be found in:
http://www.merton-zentrum.uni-frankfurt.de/Startseite/FIAC_International_Student_Moot_Court/index.html
The structure of the different competitions is similar. They begin with the publication of a "problem" or "case", fictitious yet credible, which involves the legal issues that the drafters have considered appropriate as a basis for learning for the students that form part of the different participating teams. From the case, the students must work on the arguments for the Claimant's position and the arguments for the respondent's position. In the Willem C Vis Moot and y Moot Madrid that implies the drafting of both memoranda, for the Claimant and the Respondent. In the FIA Moot, that implies the drafting of a table of contents, or ¿skeleton arguments¿.
The oral part of each competition is sub-divided into two stages. In the first stage, general rounds, each team must face four other teams, arguing twice the Claimant's and twice the Respondent's position. Depending on the level exhibited it will be marked by a panel (generally of three members). The scores obtained are added up, and the sum determines which teams go through to the next stage, the ellimination rounds. In this stage, as it name indicates, the team must get through each round by eliminating another team.
-Program:
-Selection of the team; which will be done before the end of the semester prior to the formal beginning of each competition. The candidates must be students of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid;
-Solving of problems and practical exercises on the topics involved in the competition;
-Beginning of the competition with the release of the problem;
-Drafting of the Memorandum for Claimant (except FIA students);
-Drafting of the Memorandum for Respondent (except FIA students);
-Oral preparation. Varying with the years and the competition, sometimes the preparation may require participating in pre-moots; that is, simulations of oral sessions with other teams.
-Oral pleading of the case.
-Requirements: in addition to choosing this course it is necessary to be selected to form part of a team that represents Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in one of the competitions.
