Recently, 50 students from various European countries gathered at SWPS University in Warsaw for this year’s Vis Moot Bootcamp. From October 24 to 26, future lawyers prepared for the prestigious Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. 22 experts from different countries were involved in training the students.
About the Vis Moot competition
The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot is one of the most prestigious moot courts worldwide. It has been held annually in Vienna for over 30 years and attracts participants from more than 400 universities and law schools across the world.
Moot court competitions are simulated proceedings before an international court or tribunal. They typically involve two phases: a written phase, focusing on the preparation of pleadings, and an oral phase, where student teams assume the roles of lawyers representing the parties during a mock trial.
Legal bootcamp at SWPS University in Warsaw
Participating in such a prestigious competition requires thorough preparation, which is why SWPS University has been organizing training courses for future lawyers for several years. On October 24-26, SWPS University once again hosted a bootcamp attended by students from 14 universities in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Romania, Turkey, France, Switzerland, and Poland. For three days, under the guidance of an international panel of experts, students analyzed the legal problem of the current edition of the Vis Moot, discussed related legal issues, and prepared drafts of legal documents. This year's bootcamp included:
- 4 lectures for all participants
- 5 workshops in four groups
- 2 moderated panel discussions.
The training began with opening remarks by the Rector of SWPS University, Professor Roman Cieślak, former Minister of Justice, Professor Adam Bodnar, Dean of the Faculty of Law in Warsaw, Professor Marcin Asłanowicz, and Raquel Sloan, Attorney-Advisor at the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The first day of the Bootcamp concluded with an arbitration conference at the Lewiatan Court of Arbitration entitled "Arbitration in Times of Crises: War, Force Majeure and Commercial Balancing", which included two panel discussions with the participation of nine international experts who came from Paris, Brussels, Budapest, Singapore, Kiev, Munich, Hamburg and Krakow, among others.
The second day culminated in an event organized by ICC YAAF – a panel discussion held at the headquarters of one of Warsaw's leading law firms, Wardyński i Wspólnicy. Five international experts from Vienna, Munich, Budapest, and Milan participated.
The bootcamp also successfully established partnerships with four law firms (DZP, SSW, Taylor Wessing, and Crido), which co-financed our team's participation in the Vis Moot competition.
View photos from this year's bootcamp
Prof. Adam Bodnar
Dean of the Faculty of Law in Warsaw at SWPS University, Prof. Marcin Asłanowicz
Dr. Dominik Horodyski
SWPS University students at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025
Evanthia Kasiora, speaker at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025
SWPS University students at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025
SWPS University students at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025
SWPS University students at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025
Speakers at Vis Moot Bootcamp 2025