Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna

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About the Moot

Goal of the Vis Arbitral Moot

The goal of the Vis Arbitral Moot is to foster the study of international commercial law and arbitration for resolution of international business disputes through its application to a concrete problem of a client and to train law leaders of tomorrow in methods of alternative dispute resolution.

Structure of the Moot

The business community's marked preference for resolving international commercial disputes by arbitration is the reason this method of dispute resolution was selected as the clinical tool to train law students through two crucial phases: the writing of memorandums for claimant and respondent and the hearing of oral argument based upon the memorandums -- both settled by arbitral experts in the issues considered. The forensic and written exercises require determining questions of contract -- flowing from a transaction relating to the sale or purchase of goods under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and other uniform international commercial law -- in the context of an arbitration of a dispute under specified Arbitration Rules.

In the pairings of teams for each general round of the forensic and written exercises, every effort is made to have civil law schools argue against common law schools -- so each may learn from approaches taken by persons trained in another legal culture. Similarly, the teams of arbitrators judging each round are from both common law and civil law backgrounds.

Organization and Sponsors of the Moot

The Moot is organized by the Association for the Organization and Promotion of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Verein zur Ausrichtung und Förderung des Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot). Institutional members of the Verein are Pace University, Queen Mary (University of London), Stockholm University, University of Vienna, Austrian Arbitration Association, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Moot Alumni Association, and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (Secretary of UNCITRAL is member ex officio).

[Willem C. Vis (East) Moot in Hong Kong]

The Vis Moot (East) is a sister moot to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot that takes place in Hong Kong. The Vis Moot (East) uses the same Problem and the rules are essentially the same as the Moot that takes place in Vienna. Nevertheless, they are two separate moots with separate registration, including registration fee, and separate winners. The Hong Kong Moot is not a regional elimination moot for the Vienna Moot. A law school can register for the Hong Kong Moot, the Vienna Moot or both. While the same students can be on both teams, a given student cannot argue in both the Hong Kong and the Vienna Moot in the same year. Those interested in the Vis Moot (East) should visit its web site.

Dates of moot in 2010-11

Friday, 1 October 2010 - Distribution of the Problem

Thursday, 21 October 2010 - Deadline for requests for clarification

Friday, 26 November 2010 - Closing date for submission of registration form.

Thursday, 9 December 2010 - Memorandum for claimant due

Thursday, 20 January 2011 - Memorandum for respondent due

Thursday, 14 April 2011 - Moot Alumni Association Welcoming Party

Friday, 15 April 2011 - Official Welcome and reception

Saturday-Tuesday, 16-19 April 2011 - General Rounds of argument

Wednesday-Thursday, 20-21 April 2011 - Elimination Rounds of argument

Thursday, 21 April 2011 - Awards Banquet

Moot problem in 2010-11

Will be released on Friday, 1 October 2010 on this link.

Previous winners

2009-2010 Results

First Place - King's College London

Second Place - University of Ottawa

Third Place - Osgoode Hall Law School & University of Hamburg

Detailed list of prize winners for 2009-2010 Moot is available here

For all of the past 17 Moots, click here.