The 2020/21 Edinburgh Vis Moot Team
The University of Edinburgh’s Vis Moot Team for 2020 – 2021 will be selected from the LLM students at the School of Law.
Further details about the moot and the recruitment process will be posted later this year. There will also be an information session for students at the commencement of the first semester of the 2020 – 2021 academic year.
Please feel free, however, to get in touch if you wish to know more.
Considerations for students wishing to apply
Students will need to be aware of the workload involved in being part of the team. This is in addition to the requirements that students will be required to undertake as part of their LLM courseload.
The Vis Moot competition requires a large amount of work focused around 3 phases:
- Research for and preparation of a 35 – 50 page set of substantive legal arguments in either November or December;
- Preparation of a similar memorandum in mid to late January; and
- The preparation and constant practising of oral argument from January to the date of competition including attendance at pre-moots and travel to Vienna.
The amount of time and work involved will vary across these phases but it is a consistently demanding activity with students arguing multiple times a week in the final phase as well as giving up their weekends and evenings to conduct further research and practice on their legal arguments. This is alongside assisting with administrative and organisational tasks some of which are shared amongst the team.
On average, this probably means that team members spend in excess of 10 hours a week on direct mooting activity though it can be considerably more once travel and pre–moots (preparatory competitions) are factored in.
Benefits of participating in the Vis Moot
While it involves hard work, there are also significant benefits to students from participating in the Vis Moot. The following are examples of feedback given by previous years’ students about their experiences:
I loved that we had so many different professionals as arbitrators in our practice sessions… Overall, it has been an excellent experience for me! I am so glad and thankful that I decided to join the team!
The Vis Moot was a fulfilling and unique experience unlike any other offered at university. The workload of the Moot is the stuff of legend and you emerge after six months looking pale and haggard, however the practical experience and satisfaction of working with an amazing team made the experience worthwhile… you meet amazing people who share your interests from all over the world, and discover the great joy of successfully convincing utter strangers that you know a great deal about niche topics. In Vienna, I submitted our case in front of some of the world’s foremost experts in international arbitration, an experience I will always cherish. I would strongly recommend auditioning for the Moot to any Masters student looking for a challenging and special experience.
The Vis Moot was, without a doubt, the highlight of my LLM experience at the University of Edinburgh. The competition provides extremely rewarding academic and social experiences, the opportunity to travel in representation of the University, and a space in which to combine academic learning with actual legal practice. The Vis Moot is the best place in which to test the skills that a law student acquires, it allows a break from purely theoretical thinking, it develops skills which are impossible to gain in a classroom and will provide you with a network of like minds around the world, with whom you will always have something in common.