Moot Courts
Students successful at international pleading competitions
Student teams of the Maastricht law faculty keep scoring high at international pleading competitions, so-called moot court competitions. During such moot courts, teams would work intensively on a hypothetical court case, prepare written submissions, and finally plead on behalf of their parties against other universities in front of benches of judges or law professors.
Maastricht moot court team wins finals European Law Moot Court 2010!
Maastricht law students reach final WTO moot court
Maastricht team reaches semi-final of international humanitarian law moot court
Students Catalina Goanta, Renilde van Roost and Irene Wieczorek have reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Jean Pictet International Humanitarian Law Competition in Evian-les-Bains, France. During ths competition, which lasts a week, teams must play different roles, such as legal advisors to a president, delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross and representatives of states in the Security Council. The Competition has English, French and Spanish speaking rounds. Teams from 56 universities around the world participated. Among the adversaries of the Maastricht team in the English speaking round were students from the London School of Economics, New York University, the US Military Academy at West Point and the US Air Force Academy. The picture shows Catalina, Irene and Renilde as Red Cross delegates in the semi-finals.
Another victory at the European Law Moot Court Competition
In the prestigious European Law Moot Court Competition, the biggest moot court on EU law in the world, the Maastricht team was awarded the prize for the best written memorial. The team, European Law School students Pim Jansen, Bram Nijhof, Eveline Ramaekers and Bas van de Scheur, secured the highest score among the 83 teams that participated in the round of 2007. Coached by staff member Ida Wendt, the team also gave an excellent pleading performance during the regional finals in Pecs, Hungary, finishing among the top four teams. Maastricht has a long tradition of successful participation in this moot court. Student teams from Maastricht or individual Maastricht students have entered the grand finals in Luxembourg nine times since 1997, winning four times as best team and another four times in individual moot court roles. Thus, Maastricht keeps its rank as the single most successful University to compete in the European Law Moot Court Competition.
Update: The Maastricht team of 2008 again secured a solid position among the top four teams during the regional finals in Bangor, Wales. European Law School Master student Jan-Jaap Kuipers furthermore won the best Commission representative award and will proceed to the grand finals in Luxembourg on 4 April.
Excellent results at international WTO Moot Court Competition
During the grand finals of the international ELSA moot court on WTO trade law of 1-6 May 2007 in Geneva, the Maastricht student team conquered an excellent sixth place among the 62 participating teams from Europe, Asia, North and Latin America and the Pacific. Previously, the Maastricht team won the regional rounds at Cluj-Napoca, Romania, beating the veteran London School of Economics. The Maastricht team consisted of MIC students Ana Maria Daza Vargas and Eliza Malathouni as well as European Law School students Angeliki Mavridou and Felix David. During the regional finals, Elizabeth Malathouni furthermore won the best speaker award; during the grand finals in Geneva, Angeliki Mavridou was declared best speaker of the preliminaries. Coached by staff member Iveta Alexovicová, the team of 2007 continues a fine Maastricht tradition of securing high team scores and individual best-speaker awards at the WTO moot court competition.
Maastricht again takes home awards at International Tax Moot Court
On 8 March 2008, Maastricht University entered the European and International Tax Moot Court Competition for the second time - and yet again achieved excellent results. The Maastricht team, consisting of Petra Kovacikova, Petra van Marwijk, Jesse Clever and Martin Spilski, conquered the third place while winning the award for the best oral pleading. Already in 2007, Maastricht students won distinctions in this moot court, namely the IBFD award for the best speaker, the Maisto award (best team for the applicant) and the Loyens award (best team overall). Teams from all over Europe and the United States had participated in the competition. The Maastricht team was coached by staff member Carol Ní Ghiollarnáth.
Best Dutch result ever at Jessup Moot Court Competition
February 2007 saw the Dutch national finals of the Shearman & Sterling Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The Maastricht team, students Kathrin Hamenstaedt, Sille Jansen, Zoe Luca, Wanchi Tang and Kalle Kirss, came in third after an excellent performance. In 2006 Maastricht students Jantine de Goei and Nina Janssen were furthermore awarded individual distinctions. Maastricht still holds the record of being the best Dutch team ever in the international Jessup rounds: Moritz Jesse, Hein Kruijt, Tewelde Gebru Bahta and Bart Vis secured this marvellous result in 2005. This year's team was coached by staff member Dr. Morag Goodwin.
Maastricht finishes as best non-French speaking university at René Cassin
The Concours Européen des Droits de l’Homme René Cassin was held in Strasbourg from 29 March until 1 April 2005. During this French-language moot court, a court case is pleaded before the European Court of Human Rights. The Maastricht student team consisting of Céline Adema, Merel Berling and Sarah Schoenmaekers conquered the 12th place, being the best team from a non-French speaking university, out of a total of fifty participating universities. This is the best result since 1998, when Maastricht came in second. The Maastricht team was coached by faculty staff members Dr. Jakob van der Velde and Dr. Philipp Kiiver.
