The 6th Edinburgh International Willem Vis Pre-Moot

An international training ground

Whether a fixed or floating exchange rate should be applied to a contract between a jet engine manufacturer and a fan blade manufacturer is not a topic most students find themselves discussing on a weekend off from studying. The students who participated in the 6th Edinburgh International Willem Vis Pre-Moot, however, are not most students; they are students preparing arguments on legal issues surrounding international commercial arbitration and the international sale of goods.

Students from as far as Japan travelled to Edinburgh to prepare for the prestigious finals held in Vienna. Fifteen teams travelled from Germany, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, France and various parts of the UK for the competition. The students spent the weekend of March 11th honing their skills for the finals.

As one French student put it, it’s “an essential and most enjoyable step towards our objective: the Vis Moot in Vienna."

An essential and most enjoyable step towards our objective: the Vis Moot in Vienna.

A French participant in the Pre-Moot

A long history of excellence

The University of Edinburgh has a long history of excellence in the field of international arbitration. A number of modules in the Law School are dedicated to the topic and besides the Edinburgh Pre-Moot, the Law School also organises presentations and conferences in international arbitration and dispute resolution. The esteem in the field was echoed by one of the arbitrators, Iain Aitchison (FDBF, FCIArb) who commented that “the pre-moot format combined with the conference and the evening events make it a reason to come to Edinburgh and for Edinburgh to showcase to the world.”

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A great experience for all

For those who prefer spectating to debating, the pre-moot event was preceded by a conference on Friday March 10th on “Multi-Tier Dispute Resolution in Practice.” The morning was filled with expert speakers including the organiser of the Edinburgh Law School, Dr Simone Lamont-Black. More discussions on the use of dispute boards and mediation in resolving these issues continued.

Lest participants miss an opportunity to put what they learned into practice, the afternoon comprised of break out workshops. The conference was so well put together in terms of both informing and training that attendees received continual professional development (CPD) credits, as the conference was accredited by the Faculty of Advocates.

Great experience! Great teams! Great arbitrators! Great University! [and a] must do before Vienna!

Alysée Nay

The University of Edinburgh’s tradition of hosting the pre-moot is rich and fulfilling, both for the guests and hosts. The students attending have the pleasure of meeting before Vienna and impressing a collection of world class arbitrators.

In the words of Alysée Nay from Aix-Marseille University, it was a “great experience! Great teams! Great arbitrators! Great University! [and a] must do before Vienna!”