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Frequently Asked Questions
During our information event prior to the team selection, we are often asked similar questions, which we would like to answer at this point.
Q: What do I gain from participating in the moot?
A: As a student, you benefit in many different ways from participating in the Vis Moot court. First, you get to know areas of law that you hardly have any contact with in your normal studies (UN sales law, international arbitration). Second, you familiarize yourself with the English legal language, which enables you to speak proficient English on a negotiation level at the end of the moot. Third, important skills such as teamwork, rhetoric and legal work are promoted. And fourth: participating in the moot is tons of fun! The weeks in Vienna and Hong Kong, in which you can build contacts with students from all over the world, are particularly noteworthy. Quite a few of our former team members travel to Vienna in the week before Easter to cheer on our team and meet up with old friends.
Q: How time-consuming is the moot court?
A: Participation in the moot court requires that the moot have absolute priority during the semester. The preparation of the memoranda and oral hearings require a high level of commitment in order to be able to compete against universities from all over the world.
Q: Won’t the moot significantly delay my studies?
A: First, it should be noted that the moot is not a waste of time but rather a valuable experience that only a few students are able to have during their studies. Even if it is hardly possible to attend lectures during the moot, our previous team members have been able to take part in the final exams for the semester, so that no disadvantage arose. Furthermore, participation in the moot court is “compensated” with a free semester, which is counted towards the calculation of the “Freischussfrist” for the First State Exam. Finally, the moot court is an event that is considered as a performance within the “Schwerpunkt 1” at the University.
Q: Who can participate in the moot?
A: Our experience has shown that the team ideally consists of about six members. Most of our team members were in their 5th semester when they participated, some were in there 3rd or 7th semester.
Q: Which universities participate in the moot?
A: The number of participating universities grows year after year. In 2004/2005, when the University of Osnabrück first participated, a total of 151 teams from 46 countries came to Vienna. 254 teams from 63 countries took part in 2010/2011, and in 2014/2015, 367 teams took part, setting the previous record. The USA regularly provides most of the teams, followed by Germany and India.
Q: How much does participation cost?
A: Thanks to generous donations from our sponsors, we have managed to keep participation for the teams largely free of costs every year. In particular, cost-intensive factors such as flights and hotel stays can be completely financed with the sponsorship money.
