Rain welcomed the participants to the Final of the 2002/2003 European Law Moot Court Competition in Luxemburg. The grey skies were however not enough to demoralize the best teams selected at the regional finals of the European Law Moot Court in Lisbon, Helsinki, Riga and Bratislava. The very first day was of an introductory nature: a visit to the European Court of Justice and Court of First Instance giving us all a very informative insight in the everyday work and life at the Courts, an experience which cannot be taught or learned from books. The visits were of course too short as the impatiently awaited competition was scheduled to begin the day after, on the 7th of March 2003.

Florence Kramer represented the NYU Law School Team in the Advocate General Competition. Before the ECJ gives its Judgment, the Advocate General delivers his/her Opinion, the purpose of which being to assist the Court in reaching its decision. The Opinion is not binding. After delivering their views, the Advocate General plays no further part in the proceedings. The next step is for the judges in the Court to reach their decision.

The moot case was that of Medex plc v Longevita Ltd. This case was presented by Ms Kramer, who also, in a role not often that of an AG, defended her Opinion. As biased as it may sound, we may now say that she managed to do it brilliantly, a fact later recognized by the judges, who rewarded her with an internship with a leading Spanish Law firm.

Sadly the NYU Law school team left Luxemburg without the cup, which was awarded to the UK team from Inner Temple for the general competition and to the College of Europe - Natolin for the Advocate General Competition. Nevertheless, the team gained invaluable experience and needless to say, beautiful memories. We hope too that driven by the success at this our first participation, the team will inspire some aspirations for future participants in the European Law Competition.

Members of the NYU European Law Moot Court Team spent the last week of January in Lisbon, Portugal, competing in a Regional Final of the European Law Moot Court Competition. The four team members, Jose Feris, Karin Intermill, Florence Kramer and Tzvika Nissel, accompanied by their coach, Emile Noel Fellow Martina Kocjan, competed as one of ten teams for the opportunity to advance to the All European Finals of The European Law Moot Court Competition. The NYU team won the competition for the Advocate General position in the All European Final, thanks to the accomplished argumentation of Florence Kramer. All four members of the team are concurrently undertaking LLM degrees during the academic year 2002/2003.

The European Law Moot Court Competition is the second largest international moot court in the world, and the largest and most prestigious in Europe. Supported and hosted by Universities all over Europe, the Competition is widely recognized as one of the most efficient ways to learn European Law and legal practice in general.

Teams from Universities worldwide prepare submissions setting out arguments on behalf of both the Applicant and Defendant in the proceedings before the Court of Justice. The written submissions are sent to a panel of judges comprising of professors, judges, lawyers or Commission representatives who, during the Regional final, act as Judges of the Court of Justice in the Competition.

On the basis of their written submissions, only the top 40 teams and invited to attend a Regional Final, which represents the second stage of the Competition. The location of each of the four Regional finals, which are held in February each year, varies from year to year. In 2003, they are taking place in Lisbon (Portugal), Helsinki (Finland), Riga (Latvia) and Bratislava (Slovakia). Teams are required to present their arguments to a panel of eight Judges sitting as the Court of Justice. Ten teams are sent to each Regional, but only one team and one Advocate General or Commission Representative proceed to the third stage, the All European Final in Luxembourg.

Doubts as to what a US Law School possibly achieve on a European Union law competition, were silenced, when some of the participating teams faced the NYU team as their opponent. Indeed NYU was not the first US Law school to participate (in the 2000/1 edition The Golden Gate University - San Francisco hosted a Regional Final), but was by far the most successful.

The All European Final will take place from March 5th to 8th 2003 at the Court of Justice of the European Communities before Judges from the Court of Justice and Court of First Instance. Doubtlessly, NYU School of Law could not have hoped for better representation.