The Willem C. Vis Moot: key rhetorical functions for the oral pleadings

Abstract The Willem C. Vis Moot is a global competition where university teams test their advocacy skills in the world of commercial arbitration. Being set in a simulated court, the competition opens a door to the legal professional skills that in many instances remain elusive to university law students. However, such an opportunity does not come without challenges. University students have not the benefit of previous exposure to such professional practices, and hence pleading before the Moot court can be an intimidating experience. Therefore, preparation is key, and this paper addresses the issues of legal counsel discourse that Moot participants need to be aware of when training for the finals. Analysing the winning teams’ pleadings over a period of 10 years, this paper outlines the main rhetorical functions that have been applied by these winning teams. Attending to issues of speech organisation, clarifying the contexts of arguments, regularly referring to the case facts and legal sources, and integrating and rebutting the points provided by opposing counsel were features that occurred consistently throughout the years under analysis. Participants in the Vis Moot can benefit from such insights, as it should make their preparations more efficient and ultimately their pleadings more effective.