Emirati law students to debate in global moot court competition in Europe

Moot courts are a way for law students to take part in simulated proceedings and about 10 students from UAE University College of Law will be taking part in Vienna, Austria.

DUBAI // A group of Emirati law students is being given a glimpse of what it is like to be a lawyer at an international court.

The students are preparing to take part in a court competition at Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria.

Moot courts are a way for law students to take part in simulated proceedings and the competition will feature university students from around the world.

About 10 students from the UAE University College of Law will be taking part this year and, to prepare, they are being mentored by staff at law company DLA Piper, in Dubai.

“I want to understand how international courts work and learn more about private-sector law,” said student Hamda Al Hammadi.

“Of course, I want to improve my skills.”

To prepare for the competition the 21-year-old he has been putting together two memorandums as well as the oral presentation he will have to give during the competition.

He admitted to feeling a little tense before he was tutored but is now much more confident.

He has been working to find precedents to add to his legal arguments and much of his time has been spent researching old cases.

For Latifa Al Dhaheri, the competition is the perfect opportunity to represent her country in a positive light.

“I also want to gain a new experience and I wanted to do this because it is international,” said the 20-year-old.

“I love doing activities, especially if they’re about my major.”

She is finding the pace a challenge but has enjoyed her experience so far.

“It’s hard,” she said. “You have to be organised. You can’t skip any steps. You have to read all the materials and get through 1,000 pages and read every word.”

Mohammed Al Shamsi, 24, is in his senior year and this is the third time he has taken part in the competition.

“I love it,” he said. “It gives me experience of what it’s like being a lawyer.”

He is looking forward to standing and presenting his case in court and, as such, has been fine-tuning his oral arguments.

It is a completely new experience for Abdullah Al Hammad, 20, who will be acting as a claimant in the simulated court case and will focus on discussing regulations.

“This is a chance to learn about arbitration, which is a big part of doing international business, especially in the UAE,” he said.

“The hardest part is the oral presentation. This will be the first time I present in English.

“We all study in Arabic, but compete in moot courts in English.”

The students have all receive mentoring and training on their written and oral arguments for the moot court.

They have been meeting at DLA Piper’s offices every two weeks to take part in three-hour training sessions for the last four months.

The students are taught how to approach the competition by the company’s lawyers, who volunteer their time and who review best practice.

The mentoring is part of DLA Piper’s Breaking into Law programme, which aims to support Arab youth in the Middle East.

The company has been working in partnership with the UAE University College of Law for the last six years to train young Emirati law students.

“Our lawyers have helped to train law students in the art of arbitration, while preparing them for a mock court case competition against other top international law students,” said Rasha Kashkoush, the community engagement manager for Europe and Middle East at DLA Piper.

As law is only taught in Arabic at UAE universities, this mentoring provides valuable experience in international law for students in the Emirates.

“Our aim is to use our strength as a leading global law firm to ensure young people have access to career opportunities and gain key employability skills,” said Ms Kashkoush.