Law students to battle in international 'court'

EIGHTEEN teams of law students from universities in the Asia-Pacific region will participate in the 4th International Moot Competition to be hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law in November.

Prof Mai Hong Quy, rector of the university, said, "It's the first time we are going to organise an international competition for law students."

She said Vietnam would field two teams selected from her school and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

The teams will go one-on-one in a moot court where they will make legal presentations in English before a judge.

They will make oral and written pleas, arguing both for the plaintiff and respondent in a case.

This year's contest will focus on international laws on protection of cultural heritage and maritime laws.

"We are working for participating students to meet, share, and improve their knowledge," Quy said.

"Through the competition, we hope Vietnamese students will improve their public-speaking, general research and presentation skills," she said.

The International Moot Competition was launched in 2005 by LAWASIA, an international organisation of lawyers' associations, individual lawyers, judges and legal academics in the Asia-Pacific region.

In recent years Vietnamese law schools have updated their curricula and encouraged learning of foreign languages and computer skills to prepare students for the job market.

"We have created new policies to improve our syllabus and teaching methods," Quy said, adding that if law schools provide poor training, many graduates would be unable to match the standards expected by many employers.

Her school has worked with counterparts in countries like France and Germany to develop new curriculums and train teachers. It also holds hundreds of moot courts every year in public around the country, especially in remote areas.

"A moot court is one of the best ways for law students to improve the skills required in their careers. It also provides audiences, many of whom are poor people, a better understanding of the law," she said.

"Many young lawyers do well at school but fail in their job. They know theory but can't apply it in practice," Tran Duy Canh, head of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Luat Viet law firm, said.

If young lawyers attain computer and language skills at school, they would be able to reach greater heights, he said.

five years. ANN/VNS