The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration team returned Sunday from Vienna, Austria where the team competed from April 16th through April 21st. Professors Karen Cross and Kenneth Kandaras coached the team consisting of students Mark Swantek, Jeremy Liabo, and Jennifer Burton. The group arrived home just before midnight on Sunday evening, exhausted from being awake for almost 24 hours.
Despite jet-lag, the team was extremely positive about the experience. Barton reflected on her experience as “one of the most rewarding in law school”. She also said that, “being a part of a team which argued internationally and against teams from all over the world was invaluable.”
John Marshall’s team argued against four international teams: the University of Munich, the University of Amsterdam, the University of Muenster, and the Universidad Francisco Marroquin. After exchanging briefs with opposing competitors, the JMLS team argued before a three person arbitral tribunal. Of the twelve arbitrators, only one was from the United States. Jeremy Liabo argued the Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) while both Mark Swantek and Jenny Barton handled the jurisdictional and arbitration issues. Of the approximately 250 teams that participated, a total of 64 teams advanced to the second round. Unfortunately, the JMLS team did not advance. Congratulations to the Vis team and their coaches for their hard work and dedication!
