Telders International Law Moot Court Competition

Court simulation before the International Court of Justice in The Hague

Telders Moot Court I-II-III-IV (specialization - 24 ECTS)

The "Telders Moot Court " (TMC) is the largest Europe-wide moot court in the field of general international law in English. The competition celebrates its 48th edition in 2025. Universities from all over Europe take part in the final rounds in The Hague. Judges at the international elimination rounds are renowned professors and lawyers. The subject matter is a fictitious legal dispute between two states before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The language of the proceedings is English. The cases, which are released in autumn (most recently in November), are based on current issues of international law. A national elimination round takes place if more than one team per nation registers for the competition.

The Graz team only achieved considerable success at the ultimate 47th edition of the Telders Moot Court 2024, finishing in the top ten of all teams in the oral competition on both sides (5th place on the Applicants' side and 9th place on the Respondents' side).

A moot court team consists of a maximum of four participants, whereby only two "lawyers" per party to the dispute may plead. Both written and oral pleadings are prepared jointly by all participants in a team.

Participation in the Telders Moot Court takes place in the 2022W degree course as part of the specialization focus "Telders International Law Moot Court". Of course, participation is also possible for students in the expiring 2018W curriculum. The course consists of four parts to be completed together, which extend over the winter and summer semesters: 217.220 (Telders Moot Court I); 217.221 (Telders Moot Court II); 217.222 (Telders Moot Court III); 217.223 (Telders Moot Court IV). Telders I-III is a specialization focus in the curriculum 22W and Telders IV is another course that can be completed as part of module N. Participation in the Telders Moot Court is only open to students who are willing and able to complete all four courses of the specialization within the planned duration of the entire academic year.

The written pleadings ("memorials") are prepared in the winter semester, for which the submission deadline usually is at the beginning of March (most recently March 4). The preparation of the "memorials" is relatively labor-intensive and comparable to a demanding seminar paper.

The preparation phase for the oral pleadings then begins in the summer semester. Participants must prepare themselves to present everything essential to their argument in a short space of time and to answer the "judges'" technical questions politely, firmly and comprehensively. The final rounds usually take place in June (most recently 29.05.-01.06.).

Further details on the courses and dates can be found on UGO!

In addition to the coaching units, rhetoric training and many other training opportunities in Graz, a number of team excursions are planned from which the team members can benefit both professionally and personally. In the 2023/2024 academic year, these are as follows:

Pre-moot workshop in Budapest (October 2023)
Pre-Moot Court in Düsseldorf (April 2024)
International Friendly Practices in Seville (May 2024)
TMC Final Rounds in The Hague (May-June 2024)

Consolidation of specialist knowledge in general international law
Intensive practice in rhetoric and argumentation techniques
In-depth study of international law terminology in English
Practice in teamwork
Opportunity for international exchange and legal profiling.

Interested students are requested to submit a CV and a letter of motivation in English by 31 July 2024. The submission should be sent by e-mail (attachments in PDF format) with the subject "TMC 2024/25" to voelkerrecht@uni-graz.at and manuela.rusz@uni-graz.at.

As each national moot court team may consist of a maximum of four students, selected applicants will be invited to a short oral interview if necessary, after which the final selection will take place.

It is desirable that participants have already completed the subject 'Public International Law and the Law of International Relations (General and Special Public International Law)' or the lecture examination from International Law.

Since the Telders Moot Court extends over the entire academic year 2024/25, it is only open to students who are willing and able to complete all courses of the specialization focus within the planned duration of the entire academic year and to participate in the planned excursions.