Moot Court

We would like to thank everybody for their contribution. They make it possible for us to build our courtroom.

Wolters Kluwer makes it possible for us to create a soundproof courtroom. Thank you!

We have reached the target amount. Any extra contributions will enable us to build an even better courtroom.

Your chair in our Moot Court?

By means of crowd funding, the Faculty of Law wishes to set up a training court-house on the ground floor of the Kamerlingh Onnes building. You can participate in the realization of this training court-house! Donate today or buy, for example, a chair in the audience of the training court-house.

Moot Court is a compulsory course at the Leiden Law School. Students learn how to solve a legal problem by abstracting relevant facts from a given case and applying the correct rules of law to them. Gradually, they construct their plea in which they plead on behalf of their client(s).

During the closing argument, the students try to convince the judges of their side of the case. Until recently, these pleas are hold in regular tutorial rooms. We would like to host these sessions in an actual courtroom, which closely resembles reality. This will make the experience of the arguing student more realistic and they will be better prepared for the future.

Building plan

The building plan will be as followed:

Help us

Will you help us create a courtroom for our students? Because a professional approach deserves a professional ending.

Ambassadors 

Prof. LL.M. Clementine Breedveld-de Voogd

Prof. LL.M. Clementine Breedveld-de Voogd, professor of Civil Law and director of Moot Court, points out the relationship which exists with the alumni: “Moot Court has existed since 1992. Many of our alumni have been in Moot Court sessions when they were students. Moot Court is able to call upon them every semester to function as judge. Every academic year we need about 180 external ‘judges’ to criticize around 900 pleas. Without help from the juridical professional practice we would not be able to offer this course in such an appealing manner.”

Prof. LL.D. Rick Lawson

Having a dedicated courtroom is a long-desired wish of the dean, prof. Rick Lawson. “True, we have been the best ranked law school of the European mainland for several years now. But something is still missing. Without a courtroom, the faculty simply is not finished! By creating a close-to-real imitation of a courtroom in our building, we are able to make the plea experience of our students even more realistic. It gives Moot Court that extra something. Not to mention our debating societies. Teams from Leiden compete in every major tournament. Wouldn’t it be great if they were able to practice in a real courtroom!”

Prof. LL.M. Carel Stolker

Prof. LL.M. Carel Stolker, Rector Magnificus and chair of the University of Leiden and former dean of the Faculty of Law, endorses the importance of the crowd funding campaign: “Law in Leiden has a magnificent location with beautiful lecture halls. However, an actual courtroom for Moot Court would be the cherry on top of the faculty’s cake. I regularly saw similar rooms in American Law Schools: these are inspiring environments for students where they practice their plea and argumentation skills.”

More information:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mootcourtleiden
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/mootcourt