Our Team

Our team’s efforts are truly international. Our students, and some of the practicing legal professionals who coach us, travel to Vienna and Hong Kong each Spring to face teams gathered from 180 universities in 50 countries. These exciting competitions, known respectively as the ‘Vis Moot’ and ‘Vis Moot East,’ are among the most realistic and prestigious simulated dispute resolution competitions anywhere. We work through issues of language, different national legal traditions, the procedural aspects of international arbitration, and the law of international sales contracts.

Of course, we also compete a bit closer to home, by hosting our own Thorsnes Pre-Moot in San Diego. Every February, this is a chance for the participating students to rehearse and refine their argument skills, and also a rare opportunity for our volunteer coaches and arbiters from the San Diego legal community to sit on a panel, and hear the legal arguments and rationales presented from different countries and national legal traditions.


  • Joining the Team: Each year we host a try-out competition at USD in late August. The competition is extremely competitive and we invite roughly the top twenty percent of participants to join. Our team members are passionate about international law, and are exceptional at both written and oral advocacy in commercial dispute resolution. The try-outs consist of an oral argument using a prior year’s Vis Moot problem, as well as personal interviews.
  • The 2008-2009 Team: This year’s team consists of six 2L competitors, who will travel and compete at the international Vis Moot competitions in Vienna and Hong Kong (four members for each city). In addition, we have six national 2L competitors, who will also compete in arbitration competitions across the country. These team members are supported by 3L team members who competed last year at the Vis Moot, and are coaching this year, plus 1L research assistants who are being exposed to the concepts now so they can take a more active leadership role the following year. Three senior officers and an executive board lead our team, whose President for 2008-2009 is Samuel Brotman.
  • The Year Ahead: During the fall semester, various faculty and 3L coaches provide academic instruction in arbitration procedure, the CISG, and international legal research tips useful to the Vis Moot problem. The problem is released the first Friday in October. A 35-page written brief for the Claimant is due from each team (Vienna and Hong Kong) in the first week of December, just before final exams. A similar brief for the Respondent is due in mid-January, shortly after returning to start the Spring semester. Then it is time to practice oral arguments, with intensive rehearsals held several times each week, before panels of 3L coaches, faculty, and outside lawyers. This practice is first tested in competition at the Thorsnes Pre-Moot, hosted by the team at USD from February 27-March 1st, 2009. The pre-moot attracts teams from around the world to USD to test their mettle before some of the top lawyers in San Diego (and from other countries as well)! Optionally, some team members can participate in other pre-moots held at the end of February in other major US/Mexican cities. Then it is on to the Hong Kong, and a week later Vienna, for the Vis Moot competitions in March.

We are entirely made possible by the hard work of our members and the generosity of our sponsors. We invite any feedback you may have and welcome any questions through our contact page. Thank you.



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