Moot and academic
DLSU College of Law students honored at the moot court competition in Boston
As fourth year law students of the De La Salle University College of Law (DLSU-COL), Julia D. Pineda, Michella A. Laureta,
Kylie M. Dado, and Edwin L. Concepcion have learned that law school, just like the legal profession, calls for excellence and perseverance. Excellence and perseverance are not only achieved within the four walls of the classroom, but through experiences such as moot court competitions.
The team represented the DLSU COL in the Foreign Direct Investment Moot Court Competition (FDI Moot). The Regional Qualifying Round was held in Seoul National University, South Korea, while the Global Round was held in Suffolk University in the US. After 11 months of preparation under the guidance of coaches Dr. Harald Sippel (Seoul, South Korea) and Amanda Lee (London, United Kingdom), the team won 2nd Highest Ranked Team in the Regional Round, and 3rd Highest Ranked Team (out of 104 teams), 2nd Highest Advocate, and 3rd Highest Advocate in the Global Round.
COMPETING FOR THE COUNTRY
A moot court competition involves a fictitious case, which requires teams to advocate for a client through written memorials and oral arguments. Moot is a grueling process, as the competition is not simply won with good English or good looks. It requires commitment, humility, and grit in tackling the complex legal issues raised and in preparing against teams from around the world.
“As a goal-oriented woman, I wanted to moot because I saw it as an avenue for growth with a level of difficulty that appealed to my need for a challenge. Mooting is the perfect law school challenge, as it allows us to build our arguments, operate our firm, and advocate our position,” says Julia.
Julia Pineda is the team’s captain. She set the team strategy, managed external and internal relations, and devised research mechanisms.
“I exhaustively studied the materials, responsively answered the arbitrators’ questions, and gracefully delivered my speech. I have learned moot is not for the faint-hearted or the half-hearted, as performing well in a competition or even simply surviving the process is an intellectual, physical, and emotional endeavor. Moot is a process filled with self-doubt—doubting if I could survive the long-term commitment, doubting if I will be able to deliver what is expected of me, doubting if I am a good captain to my team,” she says.
But despite all of those doubts and challenges, Julia was inspired by the support of her loved ones and the self-discovery she got in every moment of doubt.
“I discovered I am stronger than I think, especially in the midst of a personal crisis that ensued unexpectedly. I discovered I have been trained by my mentors and my school to deliver more than what is expected of me. I discovered that I can step up and captain my team into victory,” she says.
EYES ON THE PRIZE
From the very first meeting, according to team member Michella, they had already set their eyes on the goal: Winning. All of
them were willing to work hard to make it happen.
“We worked closely for almost one year and inevitably have come to know each other more deeply. Learning international law and investment arbitration in a practical way was a joyful experience. Our coaches Harald and Amanda are practitioners and they have inspired me to earnestly consider pursuing this area of law. Committing to join a moot court competition meant that this is yet another endeavor that will require much of my time and energy. I jumped at the opportunity knowing that my teammates and I were not just doing it for the experience, which was valuable; or the travel that came along with going to Seoul and Boston, which was fun. From our very first team meeting, we have set our eyes on the goal of winning,” she says.
Michella will forever carry with her what she learned from her experience, not only the skills but the lessons on working with a team of different personalities.
She adds, “Mooting is a crucible that will bring out who you truly are. In the end, the way we related with each other mattered as much as the preparation, legal research, speech practices, and quality of our arguments. We are blessed to have people who believed in us—our coaches, families, friends, and the DLSU administration, they are the ones who inspired me through the challenges and the victories along the way.”
For another team member, Kylie, the moot competition was the closest experience she could get before appearing on a real court—while still in law school.
“This is the best training that I could get to appear before a court, with nothing but myself, my own framed arguments based on my own researches and understanding of the case. Finding time for moot practice while the semester was ongoing, however, was difficult. We needed time not only to attend classes but also to prepare for inflexible recitations. I was challenged to reflect on my daily priorities for 11 months to keep my balance,” she says.
What kept her going were her family and the whole school community who were there to support them in every step.
“Our internationally trained coaches, despite their busy schedules found time to fly in to be with us and to guide us in our preparations. I was also inspired by my teammates who remained strong despite the challenges and fought even harder until the very last match, to make DLSU and the whole country proud,” says Kylie.
Though the team had their individual journeys, together as a team they ended up in Boston. More than the awards, they all came home with a greater purpose and a commitment to give back to their community by sharing invaluable life lessons and insights.
“I chose to moot as it was an opportunity to learn the practice of law outside the classroom, and from different perspectives around the world. Aside from the experience allowing me to travel and meet other advocates and practitioners, what remained to be my inspiration throughout the course of it all was that every time we practice or research or have rounds with other teams, it gave me affirmation that this is what I want to do with my life,” says another team member Edwin.
For Edwin, practicing law was no longer a childhood dream, but a rite of passage to another phase of adult life.
“Despite all the challenges faced as individuals and as a team, such as missing classes and enduring late nights, it was all worth it in the end because the learning experience and the personal growth I’ve gotten from this can never be replaced,” he says.
‘Mooting is the perfect law school challenge, as it allows us to build our arguments, operate our firm, and advocate our position.’