(Photo courtesy of Detroit Mercy Law)
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and University of Windsor Faculty of Law hosted the inaugural Transnational Law Moot Competition on Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27. This competition is the first moot of its kind to be hosted in two different international jurisdictions.
The Dual JD program, established in 1983, is a collaboration between Detroit Mercy Law and Windsor Law. It is the only program of its kind in North America in which students earn two law degrees in three years and graduate eligible to pursue licensure in both the U.S. and Canada. This historic competition showcased the skills required to be a practicing transnational Dual JD lawyer.
“The implementation of this moot demonstrates the long-standing relationship between Detroit Mercy Law and Windsor Law,” said Nickta Jowhari, dual ’22, the founder and co-chair of the moot.
“Mirroring each other across the Detroit River, the collaborative effort between the two universities allows students from both sides of the border to connect with one another and gain experience with the world of transnational law,” said Lily Vassilenko, dual ’23, co-chair of the moot.
The Transnational Law Moot Planning Committee comprised of dedicated faculty and alumni who guided the co-chairs with feedback on how to establish this moot. The co-chairs then established the Student Planning Committee, which comprised of students from both law schools who initially volunteered to complete the research and writing of the brief topic.
“As a moot coach, it was such a pleasure to watch the caliber of advocacy the students displayed,” said Talissa Mohamed, dual ’23, who aided with the legal research and writing of the brief, management of clerks, and served as a coach to competitors. “Students were thoroughly prepared to argue both sides of the moot problem and did so with finesse and ease. It was a particular delight to see how well the 1Ls who participated did. This makes me excited for the future of mooting at both Detroit Mercy and Windsor Law, as well as the future of the Transnational Moot.”
Dean Lavi, dual ’23, and Amir Gareiw, dual ’23, placed first among the 60 competitors and 30 teams which competed over the course of the weekend. Competitors included 1L, 2L, and 3L students from the Dual JD program, as well as students from the Detroit Mercy Law U.S. JD program and the Windsor Law Canadian JD program. Judges for the moot included faculty members from both law schools as well as attorneys from both the U.S. and Canada.
The moot garnered support from current dignitaries such as the Mayor of Windsor, Canadian Members of Parliament, U.S. House of Representatives and Congress who commended the founder, planning committee, law schools, and the student competitors ahead of the moot.
“The transnational moot was an incredibly popular idea with public officials across the State of Michigan. Many who attended law school were envious of the opportunity and wanted to be involved not only in this year’s competition but also the future competitions,” said Mark Klien, dual ’23, who served as the public relations coordinator of the Moot for the US. “It was great to see the support of dignitaries from Detroit, such as Congresswomen Tlaib and Lawrence, as well as alumni from Detroit Mercy Law such as State Representatives Filler, Bolden, and Yancy.”
