5/26/04

5/26/04 Northwestern Law Earns Respectable Finish in International Moot Court Competition

Northwestern Law students finished 55th out of 136 teams from more than 40 countries in the 11th annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition. The competition was held in Vienna, Austria from April 1 through April 9.

The team of second-year JD students Veronica Li, Danielle Mathey, Brian Parker, and Tiffani Tatum finished within the top 40 percent of all competitors. Senior Lecturer Stephen Smith led the team.

Brian Parker received special recognition for being one of only eight students from the United States participating in the competition to earn an Honorable Mention in the "Best Oralist" category in the general rounds.

Northwestern's team finished with a total score of 1,015 points out of 1,098--within 85 points of first place.

The competition involves both the preparation of memoranda and arguments in an arbitration setting of a problem involving the sale or purchase of goods subject to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and other uniform international commercial law. The structure of the competition includes four general rounds taking place over four days, which culminate in the "Round of Thirty-Two" teams that then argue in the quarterfinal, semi-final and final rounds. This was only the second year Northwestern has participated in the Vis competition. Last year's team of two placed 54th out of 127 teams.