Willem C. Vis Moot Court

The annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition is a unique professional and cultural experience and an essential training tool for law students wishing to pursue a career in international commercial law. The Vis Moot is designed to test the teams’ skills in drafting memoranda and oral advocacy and takes place during Easter week in Vienna, Austria, where students act as counsel in a fictitious commercial dispute between parties from different countries. In 2011, approximately 1300 students from more than 250 law schools in over 60 countries participated. Over 650 renowned arbitrators, law professors, and lawyers from around the world participated in judging the competition.

The Vis Moot is organized by the Pace University School of Law and sponsored by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, Chamber of National and International Arbitration of Milan, Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, CEPANI, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), Chinese European Arbitration Centre, Hamburg (CEAC), German Institution of Arbitration (DIS), International Chamber of Commerce, JAMS, London Court of International Arbitration, International Arbitral Centre at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Singapore International Arbitration Centre, Swiss Chambers’ Court of Arbitration and Mediation, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, and Moot Alumni Association.

For more information, visit the Vis Moot website.

Joining the Team

2011 Vis team in Vienna on the Graben The Vis Moot competition is open to second- and third-year law students who are interested in international arbitration and who have successfully completed or are enrolled in International Arbitration.

The team is supervised by Professor Lawrence Schaner and Adi Altshuler and requires a year-long commitment from all participants. Extensive time is spent drafting both the Memorandun for the Claimant and the Memoranda for the Respondent. In addition, team members will participate in extensive practice rounds during which they will hone their oral advocacy skills in preparation for the worldwide competition in Vienna in April.

At the Vis Moot, members will have the chance to argue for both the Claimant and the Respondent. It is recommended that Vis team members not compete in other moots due to the significant time commitments.

For more information about joining the Northwestern Law team, contact Professor Lawrence Schaner - team coach, or Adi Altshuler - team advisor.

Team Members

2011-2012: Soeun Nikole Lee, Parminder Sawhney, Matthew Schultze
2010-2011: Brendan Casey, Emma Jones, Valerie Petein, Daniel Stern
2006-2007: George Huang, Ke Huang, Jen Kim, Jun Liu
2005-2006: Elizabeth Heurtematte, Jen Kim, Jeff Kogan, Sarah Scopel, Elizabeth Warnick
2004-2005: Joris Beckers, Veronica Li, Friedrich D. Nell, Brian Parker, Shivani Prabhakar, Tiffani R. Tatum, Elizabeth Warnick
2003-2004: Veronica Li, Danielle Mathey, Brian Parker, Tiffani R. Tatum
2002-2003: Ashley Baynham, Lisa Linney, Aengus H. Carr

2011-2012 Events

Please join us for the following events:

  • Vis Moot practices at Jenner & Block every Wednesday 6:30pm - 8:30pm
  • February 18, 2012: Pre-Moot at Loyola University Chicago
  • February 22, 2012: Pre-Moot at Northwestern School of Law against Victoria Team from New Zealand and an exhibition of the Vis Moot
  • March 23-24: Pre-Moot at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France
  • March 26: Pre-Moot at the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre in Paris, France
  • March 30: Pre-Moot at the Austrian Supreme Court Palace of Justice in Vienna, Austria
  • March 31-April 5: Vis Moot Competition in Vienna, Austria
  • April 11th: Post-Moot Reception at Northwestern School of Law

Vienna Argument Schedule

  • Saturday, March 31: Northwestern University v. University of Helsinki
  • Sunday, April 1: Peking University v. Northwestern University
  • Monday, April 2: Northwestern University v. University of Hanover
  • Tuesday, April 3: Arab Academy for Science Technology & Maritime Transport v. Northwestern University

News

04/18/2012  Northwestern Law Vis Moot Team Excels in Vienna

03/07/2012  Vis Moot Team Member Wins Best Speaker Award

Team Sponsors