Moot court

Teacher(s)

Haumont Germain (compensates Rizcallah Cecilia); Rizcallah Cecilia;

Language

English

Prerequisites

Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, and Sources and Principles of Law
Oral and written proficiency in English

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

In-depth technical knowledge of the subject matter of the moot competition Technical mastery of the language, other than French, used in whole or in part in the competition Oral and written expression skills Introduction to the art of advocacy Ability to work in a team under time pressure Ability to analyse complex legal issues Inductive reasoning; case-based thinking

Content

Moot Courts are simulated advocacy competitions in which teams of law students analyze a fictional case, draft written submissions (memorials), and defend their position orally before a panel composed of professors, lawyers, or judges. These competitions are a valuable teaching tool: they allow students to develop their skills in legal research, persuasive writing, and public speaking.
The course unit consists of participation in a moot court competition selected by the Faculty Council, either intra- or inter-university, in Belgium or abroad.
The competition includes a written phase and an oral phase.
The competitions currently on offer are:

• Constitutional Law Moot Court (organized by Saint-Louis)
• René Cassin Competition
• Helga Pedersen Moot Court
• European Social Charter
• "Plaidoyer pour l'Humanité" Competition

Teaching methods

Students are supervised by an assistant, and placed under the responsibility of an academic.
As soon as the practical case is received, meetings are organised to assist, firstly, with the drafting of the paper and, secondly, with the preparation of the oral argument

Evaluation methods

A mark is awarded at the end of the competition. This is based on the intrinsic quality of the work provided, not on the ranking obtained in the competition.
In case of failure, the student is required to submit  written paper and give an oral presentation in the second session.

Faculty or entity

> DRTB