Moot Alumni Association
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot or Vis Moot is an international
moot Moot may refer to: * Mootness, in American law: a point where further proceedings have lost practical significance; whereas in British law: the issue remains debatable * Moot court, an activity in many law schools where participants take part in s ...
competition. Since 1994, it has been held annually in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, attracting approximately 400 law schools from all around the world and spurring the creation of more than 30 pre-moots each year before the actual rounds are held in Vienna. It is the largest arbitration moot competition, and second-largest moot overall, in the world; considered a grand slam or major moot. A sister moot, known as the Willem C. Vis (East) Moot, is held in Hong Kong just before the rounds in Vienna. It was established in 2003 and attracts around 150 teams every year, making it the second largest commercial arbitration moot and also a grand slam moot. It uses the same moot problem as the Vis Moot, as does the various pre-moot friendlies. The objective of both Vis moots is to foster study in the area of international commercial arbitration and encourage the resolution of business disputes by arbitration. The problem for the moot is always based on an international sales transaction subjected to the
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), sometimes known as the Vienna Convention, is a multilateral treaty that establishes a uniform framework for international commerce.Not to be confused with oth ...
(referred to commonly as the CISG) and also involves procedural issues of arbitration such as
jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...
and powers of an arbitral tribunal. The moot consists of submitting written memoranda for both claimant and respondent before the oral phase of the competition, though the written arguments have no bearing on either the preliminary rounds or knockout stages in the oral phase.


Background


About Willem C. Vis

The moot is named after
Willem Cornelis Vis The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot or Vis Moot is an international moot competition. Since 1994, it has been held annually in Vienna, Austria, attracting approximately 400 law schools from all around the world and spurri ...
(1924–1993), an expert in international commercial transactions and dispute settlement procedures. Vis was born in
Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
and graduated from
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...
and
Nijmegen University Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, , formerly ) is a public research university located in Nijmegen, Netherlands. RU has seven faculties and more than 24,000 students. Established in 1923, Radboud University has consistently been included in ...
in the Netherlands.Eric E. Bergsten, 'In Memoriam: Willem Cornelis Vis (1924-1993)', 28 ''International Lawyer'' 583 (1994) He also read law, economics and philosophy at
Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...
. Vis began to work for European co-operation in 1957 as a member of the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
Secretariat, in its human rights and legal affairs directorates, and later, in 1965, became deputy secretary-general of the
International Institute for the Unification of Private Law UNIDROIT (formally, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law; French: ''Institut international pour l'unification du droit privé'') is an intergovernmental organization whose objective is to harmonize private internation ...
(UNIDROIT) in Rome. In 1968, he moved to the
United Nations Secretariat The United Nations Secretariat is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), The secretariat is the UN's executive arm. The secretariat has an important role in setting the agenda for the deliberative and decision-making bodi ...
in New York, where he became senior legal officer, then chief of the International Trade Law Branch of the
United Nations Office of Legal Affairs The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) is a United Nations office currently administered by Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel of the United Nations Elinor Hammarskjöld. History Established in 1946, the Uni ...
, and secretary of the
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (French language, French: ''Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI)'') is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly, U.N. Gene ...
(UNCITRAL). Vis served as executive secretary of the Vienna Diplomatic Conference that created the
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), sometimes known as the Vienna Convention, is a multilateral treaty that establishes a uniform framework for international commerce.Not to be confused with oth ...
(CISG). He helped craft the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, and was Representative of the Netherlands to the UNCITRAL and served as chair of its Working Group on International Payments. He served on the faculty of
Pace University School of Law The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in White Plains, New York, is the law school of Pace University, a private university with multiple locations in New York. Founded in 1976 as Pace Law School, the American Bar Association (ABA ...
from 1980 until his death in 1993. At Pace, he continued to participate in the development of international commercial law, and was founding director of the Pace Institute of International Commercial Law.


Organisers and sponsors

The moot is organised by the Association for the Organization and Promotion of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The director was Pace Law School's professor emeritus Eric Bergsten, a former secretary of the UNCITRAL until his retirement in 2013 after the 20th annual moot. The current directors are Christopher Kee, Patrizia Netal, and Stefan Kroell. The moot is sponsored by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution/
American Arbitration Association The American Arbitration Association (AAA) is an organization focused in the field of alternative dispute resolution, one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. Structured as a non-profit, the AAA also admin ...
, International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration, CEPANI (Belgium),
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (abbreviated as CIArb) is a professional organisation representing the interests of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners. Founded on 1 March 1915, it was granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabe ...
, Chinese-European Arbitration Centre, German Institution of Arbitration,
Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) is an institution based in Hong Kong, providing alternative dispute resolution services from administered and ad hoc international arbitration to mediation, adjudication and domain name dis ...
,
International Chamber of Commerce The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC; French: ''Chambre de commerce internationale'') is the largest, most representative business organization in the world. ICC represents over 45 million businesses in over 170 countries who have interest ...
,
Permanent Court of Arbitration The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered at the Peace Palace, in The Hague, Netherlands. Unlike a judicial court in the traditional sense, the PCA provides administrative support in international ...
, JAMS,
London Court of International Arbitration The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) is the oldest arbitral body in the world dealing with international disputes. It was founded as a British private company limited by guarantee with a head office in London. It offers dispu ...
,
Moot Alumni Association The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot or Vis Moot is an international moot court, moot competition. Since 1994, it has been held annually in Vienna, Austria, attracting approximately 400 law schools from all around the world ...
,
Singapore International Arbitration Centre Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) is a not-for-profit international arbitration organisation based in Singapore, which administers arbitrations under its own rules of arbitration and the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. It was establish ...
, Swiss Arbitration Association,
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (French language, French: ''Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI)'') is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly, U.N. Gene ...
, Beijing International Arbitration Centre, Vienna International Arbitral Centre, and the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
Faculty of Law.


Vis East

The Vis East Moot is the sister moot to the Vis Moot in Vienna. The Vis East takes place annually in Hong Kong. Founded in 2003 by Louise Barrington, a Canadian arbitrator based in Hong Kong, the Vis East was originally underwritten by the East Asia Branch of the
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (abbreviated as CIArb) is a professional organisation representing the interests of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners. Founded on 1 March 1915, it was granted a royal charter by Queen Elizabe ...
. The Vis East uses the same moot problem and the rules are essentially the same as the Moot that takes place in Vienna. Nevertheless, they are two separate moots with separate registrations and fees, as well as separate winners – the Vis East is not a regional elimination moot for the Vienna competition. A law school can register for the Vis East, the Vienna moot, or both. While the same students can be on both teams, a student cannot present oral arguments in both the Hong Kong and the Vienna Moot in the same year even though both moots are held a week apart; further, students who have spoken in elimination rounds in previous editions (whether in Vienna or Hong Kong) cannot participate as an oralist in subsequent competitions. The first local host of the Vis East was the
City University of Hong Kong The City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is a public research university in Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and formally established as the City University of Hong Kong in 1994 ...
; the 1st–3rd editions were held at City University's campus located in
Kowloon Tong Kowloon Tong () is an area of Hong Kong located in Kowloon. The majority of the area is in the Kowloon City District. Its exaclocationis south of the Lion Rock, north of Boundary Street, east of the East Rail line and west of Grampian Road. It ...
. The following two moots were hosted by the
Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public university, public research university in Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Established in 1963 as a federation of three university college, collegesChung Chi College, New Asia Coll ...
at its campus in Central. From the 6th edition to the 16th edition, the Vis East Moot moved back to City University of Hong Kong. The general rounds and elimination rounds are now held at Justice Place, in Central Hong Kong. The Directors of the Vis East Moot are Barrington and Sherlin Tung.


Online edition

In 2020, due to
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, both Vis moots were conducted online during the originally scheduled dates, paving the way to the first editions of the Virtual Vis East and Virtual Vis respectively. Around 70 out of the original 140 teams that had signed up participated in the First Virtual Vis East, while the number for the virtual rounds for Vienna was around 250 out of 390. As air travel restrictions did not improve, it was decided that the 2021 and 2022 editions of both Vis moots would be online as well. The Vienna edition returned to the in-person format in 2023.


Moot problem

Danubia is a fictional country, which has enacted the
UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration is a model law prepared and adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) on 21 June 1985. In 2006, it was amended and now includes more detailed pr ...
as well as the
Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards The Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, commonly known as the New York Convention, was adopted by a United Nations diplomatic conference on 10 June 1958 and entered into force on 7 June 1959. The Convention ...
(New York Convention). It always features as the seat of arbitration. The arbitration clause in the contract in the problem always provides that the dispute is to be decided by arbitration in Danubia under the institutional arbitration rules of one of the various arbitration institutions which sponsors the moot. The substantive issue always entails the
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), sometimes known as the Vienna Convention, is a multilateral treaty that establishes a uniform framework for international commerce.Not to be confused with oth ...
(CISG).


Competition structure

The Vis Moot consists of two parts. The written phase of the Vis Moot commences on the first Friday in October when the moot problem, consisting of initial statements of claim and defence by the parties' attorneys as well as motions regarding procedural questions and exhibits, is distributed to the participating teams. According to an order by the arbitral tribunal, both parties have to prepare a memorandum concerning factual and procedural issues. The memorandum supporting the position of the claimant is due early in December. As the moot proceeds, each team is sent a copy of the memorandum for claimant of one of the other teams in the moot. The memorandum for respondent is prepared in response to the memorandum received, and is due in mid-January. With the submission of the memorandum for respondent, the written phase is closed. Awards for the best memoranda in the competition will not be presented to the teams until the last day of the oral arguments. As opposed to some other international mooting competitions, there is no selection of the teams who can proceed to the oral arguments based on the quality of their memoranda – every team that is participating in the Vis Moot gets to go to Vienna or Hong Kong. The oral arguments then take place in Vienna and Hong Kong. In Vienna, they begin every year with a formal opening reception on the Friday a week before Easter and close with the finals on Thursday of Holy Week. On Thursday night preceding the opening ceremony, the Moot Alumni Association traditionally organises its welcoming party for student participants, coaches, and moot alumni. The general rounds of the oral arguments take place at the Law Faculty of the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
(the Juridicum) and several near-by law offices on Saturday through Tuesday. They start on Saturday morning, 8:30 a.m. (for those 25 or so teams who have caught the first "slot"), with every competing team arguing in four hearings (against four different teams, usually pairing a team from a civil law country with a team from a common law country) during the next four days. The preliminary rounds conclude on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement of the 64 highest-ranking teams (32 for Hong Kong) which move on to the elimination rounds. Entering elimination rounds is an achievement in itself, especially since the scoring in general rounds is not consistent across the board. Elimination rounds subsequently take place on Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday, culminating in the final argument. The moot closes with an awards banquet following the final argument.


Pre-moots

As popularity for the Vis moots has continually grown, many schools now participate in sessions to practice the presentation of their argument, before ultimately travelling to Vienna or Hong Kong for the actual moot. Examples of these pre-moots include: * Belgrade Open held in Serbia. Organised since 2008, it has a turnout of around 60 teams a year * Shanghai Moot held in Shanghai. Organised since 2010, it has a turnout of around 50 teams a year * Asian International Arbitration Centre competition held in Kuala Lumpur. Organised since 2017, it has a turnout of around 80 teams a year * CIArb Australia competition held in Melbourne. Organised since 2018, it has a turnout of around 20 teams a year *
Permanent Court of Arbitration The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered at the Peace Palace, in The Hague, Netherlands. Unlike a judicial court in the traditional sense, the PCA provides administrative support in international ...
's pre-moots hosted in various parts of the world * Fox Williams/CIArb competition held in London. Organised since 2015, it has a turnout of around 30 teams per year


Awards

Various awards are given in both Vienna and Hong Kong for the written and oral arguments (individual and team). Honourable Mentions are given to teams that make the knockout stages for the oral phase, written submissions, and individual performances during the oral phase. Best Memoranda and Best Oralist prizes are also given to the top-3 in each category.


Venues

The different occasions during the oral phase of the Vienna Moot have not always been held at the venues they take place at today. As the Vis Moot grew over the years, the space needed grew with it, and required a number of venue changes from year to year. The opening reception, for example, was held at the UNCITRAL headquarters during the first three Moots (1994–96), and subsequently moved to the building of the old Vienna Stock Exchange (the "Börse"), the Ronacher Theatre (until 2005) and then the Konzerthaus (13th Moot, 2006). In 2007, the opening reception was held at the Stadthalle, but it returned to the Konzerthaus in 2008. From the 1st until the 3rd Vis Moot (1994–96), the oral hearings proper were held at the International Arbitral Centre of the
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (German language, de: ''Wirtschaftskammer Österreich'' or WKO) functions as the federal parent organization for the nine States of Austria, State Chambers and 110 trade associations for different industries w ...
(Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63 in Vienna's 4th district), thus taking place in the very rooms where ordinary arbitration hearings are held. Only from the 4th Moot (1997) onwards, the oral hearings took place at the Juridicum of the Faculty of Law,
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
. During the more recent moots, some of the hearings have been held at the offices of nearby law firms (since the Juridicum alone could no longer accommodate the growing number of hearings), namely at the offices of Dorda Brugger Jordis (since the 11th Moot 2004), DLA Piper Weiss-Tessbach (since the 16th Moot 2009) and Baker McKenzie: Diwok Hermann Petsche (since the 17th Moot 2010). The location for the championship final remained at the Vienna International Arbitral Centre even longer; the last hearing of each year's moot was held there from the 1st until the 6th Moot (1994–99). From the 7th until the 10th Moot (2000–03), the final hearing took place at the Festsaal of the
Vienna City Hall The Vienna City Hall (; Help:IPA/Standard German, aːtˌhaʊs is the town hall of Vienna, Austria, located in the Innere Stadt on the Rathausplatz, Vienna, Rathausplatz, off the Ringstrasse. The Gothic Revival architecture, Gothic Revival bu ...
(the Rathaus), and since the 11th Moot (2004) it has moved to the Messen. The awards banquet following the championship final was held at the Piaristenkeller, a historic Viennese restaurant, during the 1st and 2nd Moots (1994–95), then at the Rathauskeller of the Vienna City Hall (at the 3rd Moot, 1996) and subsequently at the same building's Festsaal (4th until 10th Moot, 1997–2003). Since the 11th Moot (2004), it has been held at the Messe. One location that has remained unchanged in its important role in the Moot (since the 4th Moot, when it was first used for moot purposes) is the "Dachgeschoss". The term "Dachgeschoss" (German for "top floor"; literally "roof floor" (Dach = roof, Geschoss = floor)), which has become part of the international moot vocabulary, refers to the top floor (7th floor) of the Juridicum in Vienna. It houses the moot administration (where teams and arbitrators register, the arbitrators pick up and hand in their score sheets, and tickets for the awards banquet are available), the MAA (Moot Alumni Association) desk, displays by various sponsoring law publishers (often offering special "moot deals") and - maybe most importantly - chairs, tables and lounge areas for the participants and arbitrators to meet and linger. The Dachgeschoss is where the hearing schedule for the day (listing the teams, the hearing room and the arbitrators) is posted every morning. During the elimination rounds, this is also the place where teams and arbitrators will gather after each round to learn with team will move on to the next round.


Cultural reception

The Vis moots are considered two of the most prestigious moot competitions in the world. With leading scholars and practitioners in the field of international sales law and international arbitration acting as arbitrators to judge the various teams, the competition has been referred to as the "Olympics of international trade law", and has been credited for engaging in emerging issues in this domain, bridging the divide between civil and common law cultures, and training the next generation of international arbitration lawyers. It draws participation from many law schools from all over the world. In 1994, when the first Moot was held, 11 teams took part. Since then, the field has grown rapidly: The 26th Moot, held in 2019, saw more than 300 teams enter the competition. In most law schools, being selected as a team member is in itself a sign of excellence. The moot's popularity has grown rapidly over the last decade of its existence. The moot gives an opportunity to law students to interact with law students from other countries and other cultures thereby equipping them with a multicultural approach which is undoubtedly an asset in international arbitrations as well as one of the aims of this competition.


Moot Alumni Association (MAA)

The Moot Alumni Association (MAA) is the alumni association of both Vis moots. It was founded in 1996 after the 3rd Vis Moot and is a non-profit association registered under Austrian law with its seat in Vienna. With a 5,000+ strong membership, the MAA is composed of students as well as distinguished academics and practitioners, and internationally renowned arbitrators and practitioners. In 2019, the MAA established a Core Team, expanding its reach and projects. The MAA Core Team is responsible for various MAA Projects such as the publication of the Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration, facilitating internships and employment related to these areas of law, a Mentor-Mentee Programme, a Diversity & Inclusion Committee, China Project, MAA Speaker Series and other legal conferences and seminars, and collaboration with the
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) (French language, French: ''Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI)'') is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly, U.N. Gene ...
(UNCITRAL) and the Institute of International Commercial Law, Pace Law School. The MAA's other activities include organising the annual Generations in Arbitrations Conference and Peter Schlectriem CISG Conference, and social events for Vis participants.


References


Further reading


Eric E. Bergsten, "Teaching about International Commercial Arbitration ...", 18 ''Journal of International Arbitration'' (August 2001) 481-486

Hew R. Dundas, "The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot", ''Stockholm International Arbitration Review'' (2008:1) 155-169

Daniel Girsberger, "Internationale Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit: Ausbildung durch Moot Courts", in: Greiner / Berger / Güngerich (eds.), ''Festschrift für Franz Kellerhals zum 65. Geburtstag'', Stämpfli Verlag AG Bern (2005), p. 23-33

Jack M. Graves & Stephanie A. Vaughan, "The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot: Making the Most of an Extraordinary Educational Opportunity", 10 ''Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration'' (2/2006) 173-206


* [http://www.maa.net/vindobonajournal/vj_documents/vj_article_waincymer_jeff_0111.pdf Jeff Waincymer, "International and Comparative Legal Education through the William C. Vis Moot Program: A Personal Reflection", 5 ''Vindobona Journal of International Commercial Law and Arbitration'' (2001) 251-283]
Janet Walker (ed.), ''The Vis Book - A Participant's Guide to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot'', Juris Publishing (2008), 190 pp.

Harald Sippel / Marc Ohrendorf, "Mooting to Win - How to Succeed in International Moot Court Competitions", Sweet & Maxwell (2019)


External links


Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna (official website)

Willem C. Vis (East) Moot, Hong Kong (official website)

Moot Alumni Association
(MAA), the Alumni Association of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot {{International moot court competitions Culture in Vienna Pace University International law Moot court competitions Law of Austria Recurring events established in 1994 1994 establishments in Austria