GULFPORT - A Stetson Law student team placed second world wide at the Wiliem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition in Vienna on April 13.
Last year in March, Stetson became the first American school since 1995 to win the Vis Moot competition.
"This is only the second time in the history of the moot that a school has ever placed teams in the grand finals back-to-back," said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, director of the moot court program. "It is quite an achievement."
A team from Queen Mary University in London took first place in this year's competition. More than 1800 spectators watched the final round of competitions.
The Stetson Law moot team of Marina Braginskaya, Kathryn Christian, Jared Dolan, Hugh Higgins, Garett Raines and Adam Williams competed with 157 teams from 50 countries around the globe to win the silver medal. Christian and Williams were both recognized with an honorable mention for best oralist and Stetson took third place for the best respondent's memorandum.
The moot team wrapped up months of competitions at the Vis moot in Vienna. The team took first place in the Leuven Vis pre-moot competition on April 5 at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, beating teams from New Zealand, South Africa and Europe. Ten universities competed.
The Stetson Vis team also won first place in the Florida State Vis Pre-Moot in March. These Vis accomplishments mark another successful year internationally for the moot court board. Stetson took home an award for the best memorial at the Regional Jessup International Law Moot Court competition in February.