Year after year, Erasmus School of Law has sent teams to participate in the Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition (“Vis Moot”). This year is no exception as the Vis Moot returns for its 28th run and for the second time, it will take place virtually.
Undoubtedly, 2020 has been a strange year where the world was thrust into a dramatically different world where masks and social distancing became the norm. But the new year has brought with it new breakthroughs like the COVID-19 vaccines, which is the latest buzzword dominating the news cycles. The same is true for the inhabitants of the fictional realm of Danubia, Mediterraneo and Equatoriana – the world of the Vis Moot. Unlike us, however, they are still waiting with bated breath for the release of the COVID-19 vaccines, which made the 2021 Vis problem so fascinating.
Given the “stakes” involved for the people of the (fictional) Vis World, the Erasmus Vis Team has been hard at work and getting creative as they prepare legal arguments for the written phase of the competition. Like previous runs, the preparation started soon after the selection rounds as the team tackles issues in both the fields of arbitration and the sale of goods. This year, the Erasmus Vis Team is made up of seven master students from across four different tracks. “Being from a place with a competitive moot scene, I knew from the get-go that joining the Vis moot was a must and it truly does not disappoint. The Erasmus Vis journey thus far has offered an unrivalled eye-opening experience.” – says Leon, LLM Maritime & Transport Law. Fortunately for the people of the Vis world, the team has just submitted the respondent memorandum last week, which concludes the written phase of the competition. This also means that the oral rounds are about to begin as well.
Unique experience
It is said that a moot court is one of the most unique experiences that a law student may choose to join as it provides them the chance to put on their lawyer’s caps and to work with an international team with people from across the globe. This sentiment is succinctly captured by Mohamed, Alexandra and Daiana - “The Vis Moot is the perfect opportunity for Dutch and international law students to get familiar with arbitration as well as international commercial law, master their legal writing skills and improve their advocacy in English.” tells Mohamed, LLM Ondernemingsrecht (Corporate Law) student. “For me, participating in the Vis Moot team of Erasmus University represents the greatest challenge, and yet, the biggest reward one could ever receive in view of completing their legal persona.”- tells Alexandra, LLM Commercial and Company Law student. “Being selected to be part of the Vis Moot team was the greatest opportunity I could ever dream of. So far, the Vis Moot experience was filled with endless nights of research, hard work but also happiness and gratitude.” – says Daiana, LLM Commercial and Company Law student.
The virtual nature of the competition has evidently not dampened the enthusiasm of the team as the team gears up for the next phase of the competition, which are the oral rounds and the pre-moots. “Memorandum writing has been very exciting so far and the whole team has come a long way in terms of developing their advocacy skills. I do hope to see similar growth and learning during the pre-moots!”- mentions Natasha, LLM International Arbitration and Business Law student. "My skills improved a lot during the written stages, and now I am thrilled to learn more in the upcoming pre-moots!"- adds Andrea, LLM Commercial and Company Law student. “The Vis Moot is a valuable learning experience for any law student. During the written phase, we received substantial feedback not only from our coaches, but from external lawyers supporting the team, as well. We are very grateful for the constant support and faith placed on us from our coaches and our sponsors and we cannot wait to participate in the oral pleadings!”- says Konstantina, LLM International Arbitration & Business Law student.
