FAQ

General Information

Will the Nuremberg Moot Court take place in 2024?

Yes, the Nuremberg Moot Court will take place in 2024 and will be held in Nuremberg, Germany with the final round taking place at the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice.

Further instructions and information regarding the organisation of the hearings will be shared with the teams, via our Facebook page and on our website, at least two weeks before the competition.

What is the Nuremberg Moot Court?

The Nuremberg Moot Court is an international competition held in English in Nuremberg, Germany. Teams from all over the world are invited to argue a fictitious case before the "International Criminal Court". A moot court is a simulated court proceeding which invites law students to compete and present written and oral arguments for both the prosecution and the defence.

Students are given the unique opportunity to develop their skills and plead at the historic Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials against the major Nazi war criminals took place.

Who are the organisers of the Nuremberg Moot Court?

The organisers of the Nuremberg Moot Court are the International Nuremberg Principles Academy and the International Criminal Law Research Unit at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg.

When is the next Nuremberg Moot Court taking place?

The Nuremberg Moot Court usually takes place every year in July. The oral rounds of the Nuremberg Moot Court 2024 will take place from 24 July 2024 to 27 July 2024.

How long does the Nuremberg Moot Court last?

The Nuremberg Moot Court is divided in two phases:

• The written phase, which lasts two months; and
• The oral rounds, which will last for four days in 2024 and take place in Nuremberg, Germany.
  
  

Applications

How do I apply to the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Your team coordinator must complete an application through our online application system, available from 4 December 2023. You will be asked to provide the following information:

• The name of the institution represented by your team;
• Personal information about your team coordinator, team coach, and all team members;
• A motivation.

Teams from conflict or post-conflict countries that wish to apply for funding need to demonstrate their motivation by providing information about the conflict their country is experiencing or experienced and the reasons why they need the funding.

My country is not listed in the online application form, can I apply?

Yes. Our online form only lists countries with ISO codes. If your country has not been assigned a code, such as Kosovo, please contact us directly via registration@nuremberg-moot-court.de.

Can the deadline to apply to the Nuremberg Moot Court be extended?

No, the deadline to apply to the Nuremberg Moot Court cannot be extended, as it will affect the organisation of the competition. Interested students are invited to apply on time. No exception will be granted.

What shall the motivation for the Nuremberg Moot Court include?

Teams shall explain why they are applying to the Nuremberg Moot Court and why they are interested in international criminal law. Teams should also detail the relevance of the Nuremberg Moot Court to their studies and career plan.

Please limit your application letter to the indicated format. Applications with motivation letters of less than 750 or more than 1,300 words will be automatically rejected.

Shall the motivation describe individual interests/motivation of team members or the team as a whole?

The motivation letter shall reflect the motivation of the team as a whole and not that of one individual member. The individual motivation of each team member can be included if they differ from each other.

How are applications assessed?

Admission to the Nuremberg Moot Court is competitive. A selection committee carefully reviews all applications. The committee strives to select the most motivated teams based on the motivation letter and equitable geographic representation.

When will we be informed of the result of our application?

Selected teams will receive an email, via their team coordinator, on the day stated on the timetable.

When will we be informed of the decision regarding our funding application?

For the 2024 competition, decisions regarding your funding application will be announced via email to your team coordinator on 21 May 2024.

I submitted my team’s application online, but I have not received any confirmation email, what shall I do?

Please check your spam box. If your team coordinator did not receive any confirmation email, it is possible that your application was not received by the organisers. Please contact us directly via registration@nuremberg-moot-court.de.

Please refrain from using business or academic emails to which you will not have access before, during or after the Nuremberg Moot Court.

Team Members

Who can participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Team members shall be undergraduate or graduate law students registered with an academic institution.

Can a person working with a law firm or registered with an organisation which is not an academic institution participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Team members need to be registered students at the time of application and throughout the entire competition (until July 2024). Individuals not registered with an academic institution are not eligible to compete in the Nuremberg Moot Court.

How many members can one team have?

Teams participating in the Nuremberg Moot Court shall have a minimum of three and a maximum of five members (excluding the team coach). The details of each team member shall be provided at the application stage.

The substitution of team members is only permitted in limited circumstances once the application has been submitted. The organisers may grant exceptions. Please see below “Changes in the Team Composition”.

How many teams from one university can participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

One university can send only one team to the competition. Ideally, we would expect teams from the same university to reach an agreement before applying to the Nuremberg Moot Court. If we receive more than one application from a university, we will assess the applications based on the motivation letter and choose the most motivated team.

If a university has several campuses, they are all considered as part of that university. The organisers will not accept applications from two campuses of the same university.

Can students from two different universities form a team and submit a joint application to the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Yes. In exceptional cases, such as universities with limited capacities and resources or working together as part of an educational program, joint applications could be eligible. Please contact the organisers for further information.

I have already participated in the Nuremberg Moot Court. Can I participate again this year?

Yes. Team members can choose to participate several years in a row, we do not have any limitations. We however encourage teams to change their members to allow other students to benefit from the experience.

Can several teams from the same country apply to the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Yes. There is no limit on the number of teams applying from one country. The Nuremberg Moot Court will register up to 150 Teams for the written phase and up to 40 teams for the oral rounds.

Please note that the selection is however based on the quality of the motivation, but also geographical balance. For the participation in the oral rounds, the selection is based on the quality of the written memoranda, as well as geographical balance (to ensure fair geographical balance during the oral rounds, we select a maximum of three teams per country).

Team Coach

What is the role of a team coach, and can a former Nuremberg Moot Court participant or a current student apply as a team coach?

A team coach provides general advice to the team members and assists with designing the case strategy but does not participate in the competition itself. S/he can be a staff member of the team’s institution. As far as there is an agreement between the students and the potential coach, there are no restrictions regarding the selection of a coach.

Can the team coach and coordinator be the same person?

The team coordinator can be also a team coach or a team member. S/he is responsible for the administration of the whole team, such as application, accommodation, visa issues and communication with the organisers.

If a team does not have a coach, can they still participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Yes, they can still apply for the Nuremberg Moot Court. On the application form, regarding the information about the coach, please write “No Coach”. This also applies to the teams whose coach may not be able to participate in the oral rounds.

Fees and Funding

Do I need to pay any fees to participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

No. The Nuremberg Moot Court is free of charge. Team members are not required to pay any fees.

Will the organisers offer funding?

Yes, the organisers provide funding to three teams from conflict or post-conflict countries for in-person events. The funding covers travel expenses, accommodation and per diem for three team members and one team coach.

How do I apply for funding?

Apply for funding via your team’s account as part of the initial application to the Nuremberg Moot Court. Funding applications will be due at the same time as the initial application (22 January 2024).

How are the funding applications assessed?

Funding applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. The Team is from a conflict or post-conflict country;
2. Motivation; and
3. Geographical representation.

Conflict or post-conflict countries shall be understood as countries experiencing or which have experienced serious violations of human rights and/or international humanitarian law. The organisers will assess this criterion based on the information provided in the motivation letter and publicly available information.

Is a team with no coach eligible for funding?

If a team has no coach, the funding will be given to three team members.

When will we be informed of the outcome of our application for funding?

The selection of the teams that will receive funding will be conducted after the submission of the written memoranda. The selected teams will be informed at the same time as the results of the written phase.

Languages

What are the language requirements for participating in the Nuremberg Moot Court?

The Nuremberg Moot Court is held in English. It is indispensable that you have a good working knowledge of English to participate in the competition. You are not required to provide us with official language proficiency certificates when applying.

Changes in the Team Composition

One of our team members can no longer participate in the Nuremberg Moot Court, can our team stay in the competition?

In general, the substitution of team members during the written phase is not permitted after 22 January 2024. The substitution of team members is possible for the oral phase until 21 May 2024. The organisers may grant exceptions in some limited instances.

If a team member drops out, but your team still has three or more members, your team will still be able to compete. Please inform the organisers and update your online account.

If your team has less than three members as a result of the drop-out, the organisers may grant an exception in some instances and allow the substitution of the team member. Please contact the organisers explaining the circumstances and providing the name of the new proposed team member.

Can we change our team coach?

In general, the substitution of team coaches during the written phase is not permitted after 22 January 2024. The substitution of team coaches is possible for the oral rounds until 21 May 2024. The organisers may grant exceptions in some limited instances.

Written Memoranda

Will we receive a confirmation email when we submit our written memoranda?

Yes, you will receive a confirmation email. You can also check if the memoranda have been uploaded on your online account.

How are the written memoranda assessed?

Written memoranda are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Handling of substantive issues:

• Knowledge and analysis of the facts
• Understanding of legal issues and the applicable law
• Legal analysis: quality of arguments
• Logic: structure of arguments

Overall presentation:

• Grammar
• Clear and concise writing style
• Use of legal terminology

Each memorandum is evaluated by two graders.

Will our team receive the results of the written memoranda?

Yes, each team will receive their results including a detailed score for each memorandum and individual feedback prepared by the graders.

Visa and Passport

Do I need to take care of my flight, accommodation, travel health insurance and transportation?

Yes. You need to book your own flight and accommodation, conclude a travel health insurance and organise your transportation (except for the three teams receiving funding who will receive assistance of the organisers).

How can I get help in obtaining a visa to attend the Nuremberg Moot Court in Germany?

The organisers will prepare a letter of invitation for team members who need a visa to attend the Nuremberg Moot Court.

What additional documents are needed to apply for a visa and how early shall I book my appointment with the German Embassy?

In addition to the invitation letter provided by the organisers, most Embassies ask for additional documents. Please check the relevant Embassy's website for the procedure and list of necessary documents and start preparing your application as early as possible.

Please note that appointments with the Embassies in charge of processing Schengen visas are scarce in some countries. In order to secure an appointment on time, we strongly advise you to check the Embassies’ available appointments, even before you receive the final results. We recommend you to book an appointment as soon as possible (the appointment should not be earlier than two months before the competition).

Please do not forget to cancel your appointment if your team does not advance to the oral rounds.

Oral Rounds

Can individuals who are not part of a team attend hearings of the Nuremberg Moot Court?

Yes. Hearings are open to the public. Any interested person can watch the oral rounds of the Nuremberg Moot Court, depending on the seating capacity of the courtrooms.

The Nuremberg Moot Court will not assist individuals who are not part of a team with visas or any other logistical or administrative matters.

What shall I bring for the competition?

Team members shall bring all the necessary material for their pleading (printed pleadings, case material, notes, etc.).

The organisers will provide a welcome package comprising pens, notepads and a compilation of the core ICC documents (Rome Statute, Rules of Procedure and Evidence, etc.), as well as the Nuremberg Principles.

Will I stand or sit when presenting my arguments?

The team member presenting the argument will stand during her/his presentation. The other team members will sit.

Are any visits part of the competition?

No. Participants are free to visit sites in their spare time. The organisers recommend a visit to the Memorium Nuremberg Trials and the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds, which can both be visited free of charge by participating teams.