Organizations to Hold Spanish-Language Moot Court Competition

As a means of encouraging the study of intellectual property (IP) law and sharpening practical legal skills, the Court of Justice of the Andean Community (CJAC), the Interamerican Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), and INTA will be holding a stimulating educational competition for law students and recent non-practicing law graduates.

Participants, playing the role of plaintiff or defendant, will be charged with the preparation, presentation, and legal defense of a fictitious case related to IP law.

Applications are now being accepted, through July 31, for the Moot Court on Intellectual Property Law (Second Edition). Both the written and oral phases of the competition will be conducted in Spanish.

The activity is open to teams of two to four individuals from universities in Latin America and North America. Participation is free. Interested students can apply here.

According to the organizers, the objective of the competition is to promote the study and specialized research of IP “through the development of knowledge, professional capacities, and practical skills essential for the solution of legal problems, based on the study, analysis, and academic debate of the substantive and procedural rules of intellectual property law, as well as through the use of the procedural mechanisms of the Andean Dispute Settlement System.”

Teams will submit written briefs and a jury will advance selected teams to rounds of virtual oral arguments. A three-member jury of legal experts in IP law will evaluate each team’s performance based on the degree of subject matter knowledge, soundness of arguments, capacity to defend the assigned party, solvency when answering the questions posed by the jury, knowledge of the case, oral skills, and other considerations.

The final round and awards ceremony will take place November 28‒30. Depending on the category, prizes include free registration to an upcoming INTA Annual Meeting, free enrollment in ASIPI Academy programs, a compendium of CJAC publications, and a commemorative plaque.

The second edition competition expands upon the inaugural Andean Community Moot Court Competition, which was hosted by CJAC and INTA in 2021. The initial competition focused on Andean Community Law, governing the member countries of Boliva, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. A total of 116 students in 33 teams from the four Andean Community member countries as well as from Mexico and Venezuela entered the competition, and, of those, 28 teams submitted briefs.

Last year’s competition marked the first time that INTA conducted a competition in Spanish. It was inspired by the continued success of the Association’s Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition and Asia-Pacific Moot Court Competition.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest. 

© 2022 International Trademark Association