17 Jul 2013
Thirteenth Year of MILE Programme Culminates in Moot Court Case and Closing Ceremony
The MILE 13 Class with WTI Faculty and Staff Members
Wrapping up a rigorous year combining studies in law, economics and the political economy of global commercial relations, 34 MILE students from some 21 countries participated in the annual MILE Moot Court at the WTI on 24-25 June.
By simulating a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement process, this year’s group of Master’s students gained an in-depth understanding of how a case is prepared from the side of a complainant and of a respondent while demonstrating their knowledge of WTO law nine months into the MILE Programme.
The students were divided into eight groups and were required to produce written submissions for both the complainant and respondent cases, as well as present both sides orally before a very able and realistic panel. The 2013 case was drafted by MILE alumnus, Christian Vidal-Leon, who is now working with the European Commission. This experience, along with the challenges that come from working with colleagues spanning 21 different nationalities, made for a dynamic debate – both for the participants and the panellists.
Representing an international adjudicatory body at the WTO, the panellists included Christian Vidal Leon, Legal Officer at the Directorate-General for Trade of the European Commission; Fernando Pierola, Senior counsel at the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL) and also a MILE alumnus; Arthur Appleton, Founding Partner of Appleton Luff International Lawyers and member of the WTI Board of Directors and Victoria Donaldson, Counsellor, WTO Appellate Body. Each panellist drew on his or her own experiences in litigation at the WTO to challenge participants with tough questions.
From the eight groups of students, the two winning teams drove to Barcelona, Spain to compete against the two highest-scoring teams from the International Economic Law and Policy (IELPO) programme of the Universitat de Barcelona. The IELPO judges awarded Michèle Glauser, Enrik Haxhirexha, Oleksandra Brovko and Adriana Pérez-Gil the prize as best WTI team; Michèle Glauser was designated as best WTI oralist.
Two days later, the MILE 13 class congregated at the WTI to partake in the closing ceremony for the Programme. Dode Seidu, one of the two Class Representatives, highlighted the most memorable moments of the year, while Canadian Ambassador, Jonathan T. Fried shared his career experiences and views with the students, captivating the audience with his words, projections and recommendations for these young professionals.
The next MILE Programme begins on 8 September 2013.