Edinburgh Law School achieves success at 32nd Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot

The University of Edinburgh Law School achieved great success at the 32nd annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot held in Vienna, Austria between 11 and 17 April 2025. Competing against 392 international teams in one of the most prestigious and highly competitive moot court competitions worldwide, Edinburgh advanced to the elimination rounds, ultimately placing among the top 64 teams globally – a milestone the University last achieved 11 years ago. The team received an Honourable Mention for the esteemed Eric E. Bergsten Award, recognising the team’s outstanding overall performance.

The Edinburgh team consisted of Hailey Craig (Graduate Entry LLB student), Robert Sizer (Diploma in Professional Legal Practice student), Megan Freeman (LLM Medical Law and Ethics student), Keziah Thomas (LLM Commercial Law student), Baraj Singh Kohli (LLB (Hons) student), and Alexander Limper (MA International Relations and International Law (Hons) student). Additionally, team member Robert Sizer was individually recognised with an Honourable Mention for the Martin Domke Award, identifying him among the best oral advocates of the competition – a distinction awarded to only a select few among more than 2,500 participating students.

The team was trained by the coaches Jonas von Lilienfeld-Toal, an LLM Commercial Law student, and Sofia Kurochka, an alumna of the LLM International Law programme.

The Willem C. Vis Moot is an internationally renowned legal competition designed to immerse law students in practical scenarios involving international commercial arbitration and commercial law. The competition is highly regarded for its capacity to enhance participants’ skills in legal research, writing, and oral advocacy, as well as for providing unique professional development opportunities and international networking. Participants plead before panels of distinguished arbitrators, including leading academics, practitioners, and renowned experts in the field of international arbitration. 

Preparation for the competition began in September, with the team investing considerable time and effort into drafting two detailed written memoranda. From February onwards, the focus shifted to intensive oral advocacy training, including participation in countless practice rounds and a pre-moot event in London.

The Edinburgh Vis Moot team extend their sincere appreciation to sponsors Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP, the Scottish Arbitration Centre, and the Faculty of Advocates for their invaluable support, which was crucial to the team’s success.