It is said that advocacy is the art of persuasion, and certainly all the finalists in this year's Bucerius Common Law Moot (BCLM) competition did their utmost to convince the court that their client's rights and interests should prevail.
Now in its 12th year, the BCLM offers first-year students the opportunity to hone their English mooting skills in a competitive context. Students who take part often go on to compete in prestigious external competitions, such as the Jessup and Oxford IP moots.
This year's case was a complex one involving contract law and the perennially vexed issue of the extent of damages that can be claimed following a breach of contract. Adrian Fraus and Thomas Dörtgöz appeared for the appellants, while Leonie Schwannecke and Melissa Gulde acted for the respondents.
The finalists' submissions to the court evinced both their firm grasp of the legal principles at stake and their ability to deploy policy arguments in their clients' interests. All four counsel had assiduously researched the issues and were able to answer the questions coming at them thick and fast from the panel of three judges.
Ultimately, it was the team of Adrian Fraus and Thomas Dörtgöz who carried the day with their clear and compelling submissions, not to mention impeccable court etiquette.
Mooting in English is a key aspect of the curriculum taught by the Foreign Language Communication Programme, so we are very gratified by the fact that so many students take part in the BCLM and then go on to participate in other external mooting competitions. If the performance of the finalists in this year's BCLM is anything to go by, many more mooting awards and trophies will be coming the way of Bucerius students in the years to come.
The Foreign Language Communication Programme would like to thank all the BCLM participants for taking part in the competition and congratulate them on their fine advocacy efforts!
