The second Mannheim team at the finals in Vienna in 2014 (from left to right): Dorina, Markus, Johannes, and Sebastian / Photo credit: Lea Tochtermann
When participating in the Willem C. Vis Moot, you practice thinking like a lawyer and become more aware of legal nuances. Whether you intend to become a judge or an attorney, a good lawyer is first and foremost a persuasive speaker. And the Vis Moot provides the ideal opportunity for you to refine your argumentation skills. You will prepare written statements (memoranda) of the highest standard and acquire the tools that will prove a real asset in your future career as a legal practitioner. You will also have a good command of spoken and written legal English after just a few months. At the same time, you will enhance your knowledge of UN sales law and arbitration. Of course, you won’t be on your own: the professor in charge and several coaches will support you for the entire duration of the competition.
After you have applied the finishing touches to your memoranda, you will present your best arguments to experienced arbitrators. When giving your speeches, you will need to convince your audience not only with what you say, but also by how you say it, skillfully using facial expressions and body language to support your arguments. At the end of the Vis Moot, you will have developed new strengths, such as being a quick learner and a good and confident speaker.
You will be granted an exclusive look behind the scenes of many renowned law firms and will meet experienced lawyers, who will support you during your preparations. Often, Vis Moot participants will later have the opportunity to intern with one of those firms. The Vis Moot is also one of the largest social events for law students worldwide. As there are no preliminary knock-out rounds, all participants meet at the finals in Vienna and Hong Kong, where they will compete for the coveted prizes. Plus, you will make new friends from all over the world. After all, you will always have one thing in common: the Moot spirit that will create a lasting bond between all of you, no matter on which continent you live.
During the phase of preparing your oral arguments, you will not only attend pleading sessions held at renowned law firms in Germany, but also participate in exciting Pre-Moots in other countries. The last Mannheim team, for example, went to Edinburgh, Riga, and Moscow. Of course, the finals in Vienna and Hong Kong are the real highlight. In addition to the pleading sessions, you can take part in multiple leisure activities such as going to the legendary parties in Ost Klub (a bar now called Schwarzberg) in Vienna. Unforgettable.
Don’t worry: you won’t be set back! The state examination office of Baden-Württemberg responsible for the state examinations in law (LJPA) guarantees that the semester in which you participate in the Willem C. Vis Moot will not be counted towards the total number of semesters in your program of study (see section 22 subsection 2 number 5 of the Act on Lawyer Training and Examination of the Land of Baden-Württemberg (JAPrO)). This means that the Vis Moot will not affect your ability to take the first state examination in stages (Abschichtung) in the second phase of the integrated program in Law. The second phase of the integrated program in Law that leads to the state examination can be prolonged by one semester. Further information is provided here.
Go to structure of the Moot