Law Students Will Compete on World Stage in 2024 Nuremberg Moot Court

Four UNT Dallas College of Law students will participate in the 2024 Nuremberg Moot Court, a well-known and highly respected international competition that will be held July 24-27 in Germany.

This is the second year a UNT Dallas College of Law team has competed, and the second year we advanced from the Written Rounds to the Oral Rounds of the event. “The fact that our students were selected to progress to the Oral Rounds is a testament to their hard work, and to the quality of legal education they are receiving at UNT Dallas College of Law,” said Cynthia Fountaine, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law.

It is a very intense and selective competition. 144 teams were chosen for the Written Round, but only 40 moved ahead to the Oral Rounds. Just three are from the U.S.

UNT Dallas Nuremberg Moot Court Team members are Madysen Tyson, India Carroll, Weilin (Kris) Lu, and Rian Nealon. All are rising 3L students. “I want to practice criminal defense, and the Nuremberg competition has allowed me to learn an entire new body of criminal law,” Carroll said.

The competition gives students a new perspective on their education, the law and the world.

“This opportunity to compete in the Nuremberg Moot Court oral rounds competition is a dream come true in my legal education journey, said Nealon. “Not only does this experience allow me to develop my oral advocacy skills, but I will be able to apply those skills against some of the best oral advocates around the world.”

The students are coached by Fountaine and UNT Dallas College of Law professor Shannon Conway. “It’s so rewarding to see the students’ hard work on the brief submissions pay off with an invitation to the oral rounds. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us to prepare, but the team is absolutely up to the task and wants to make our school proud,” said Conway.

University teams worldwide are invited to argue a fictitious case before the "International Criminal Court" during the competition. A moot court is a simulated court proceeding in which law students compete based on their oral and written legal argumentation and presentation from both the prosecution and defense positions.

“Practicing law is about lifting humanity. What else is more impactful than learning how to practice International Criminal Law—which concerns the gravest issues against humanity in the world?” said Lu. “The principles and experiences I learn from Nuremberg Moot Court broaden my horizons about practicing law.”

Read the 2024 Nuremberg Moot Court Case Here

Dissecting both complex procedural and substantive issues of international criminal law, students are given the unique opportunity to develop their skills at the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials against the major Nazi war criminals took place.

The International Military Tribunal held the Nuremberg trials from 1945 to 1949. They resulted in the recognition of the Nuremberg Principles, which ultimately led to the creation of the International Criminal Court.

This location allows students to practice international criminal law at its very birthplace, offering both a historical and educational experience. “This competition is a fantastic opportunity for our students to compete on an international level,” said Fountaine. “They get to meet other law students, attorneys, and judges from across the globe, and in the process, they learn about different legal cultures.”

Video: Watch the 2023 Nuremberg Moot Court Arguments Here

The Nuremberg Moot Court organizers collaborate with highly esteemed professionals, including national and international judges, academics, and other legal practitioners.

Indeed, practicing will be the focus for the next seven weeks leading up to the event. All four students and their two coaches are working hard to prepare. “This competition has developed my legal writing and research skills, said Byson. “I feel confident that this experience will help me in my future career as an attorney. The next step is to write our oral arguments and practice until perfect!”

Lu went into more detail, explaining what’s next in the preparation process, “Study past cases, come up with arguments, bounce ideas with teammates and coaches, make outlines, watch past NMC final round videos, anticipate judges’ questions, practice oral arguments,” she said.

While anticipating victory, each student picked one word to describe the experience, regardless of the outcome. Lu said 'fulfilling.' Nealon chose 'grateful.' Byson and Carroll said 'honored.' Four students, three words, two coaches and one intense international competition that’s about to reach its most exciting moment.