The Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna is the most prestigious legal competition among Universities from all over the world, with the highest number of challenger teams in its final phase (almost 400 ones from as many Universities). The competition consists in a simulated arbitration proceedings, where each University team pleads during oral hearings before Arbitral Tribunals composed by the most eminent arbitrators (academics, professionals, judges) worldwide.
The competition starts every year at the beginning of October with the publication, online, of a legal problem (the same for all the participating teams and concerning an international sales contract governed by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods – CISG, as well as issues of international civil procedure and international commercial arbitration) and provides for the drafting, within the first week of December, of a written Memorandum for Claimant and, within the end of January, of a written Memorandum for Respondent. Both memoranda shall be written in English.
The oral hearings (also held in English), where each team shall plead both for the Claimant and for the Respondent, before Arbitration Tribunals composed by real arbitrators, take place in Vienna, during the week before Easter, where converge more than 4000 people (students, coaches, academics, professionals, judges, officers) from all around the world.
In preparation of the final stage in Vienna, each year, in the period February – March, several pre-moots are organized by different Universities and Institutions all around the world, where a limited number of teams meet to train in view of the final stage in Vienna. The week in Vienna, in addition to the oral hearings, offers an exciting program of conferences, seminars, workshops and social events.
Participation in the competition allows the development of a series of valuable and highly appreciated skills in international professional contexts (knowledge of legal English; techniques of written and oral legal advocacy; in-depth expertise of subject-matters of strategic relevance in transnational dispute settlement; use of paper and electronic legal resources; ability to work in a team).
For general information about the competition, please visit the official website of the Vis Arbitration Moot: https://vismoot.pace.edu/