Students Hone International Lawyering Skills in Vienna
04/04/2016
IU McKinney students who competed with over 300 teams from all over the world included: John P. Miller, ’16, who served as the team’s captain; Victoria Hedin; ‘16; Brenda Kpotufe, ’16; and Yomna Semary, LL.M. ‘16. Second-year students Amy Dunn and Addison Koester served as researchers. While the McKinney students didn’t achieve their goal of making it to the final round of 64 teams, they are pleased with their performance an noted that their reviews from the arbitrators scoring the competition were positive.
The students talked about their participation in four rounds of the competition against delegates from the University of Leiden; University of Zurich; Hokkaido University; and National Researcher University Higher School of Economics, City of Saint-Petersburg.
“I feel very fortunate to have been a competitor,” Kpotufe said. “I can honestly say that I will be a better lawyer thanks to this experience.”
Semary did her LL.M. studies on the Corporate and Commercial Law track, making the Vis experience particularly meaningful for her future plans. “I have had the privilege of working with a diverse variety of people,” Semary said of being on the team. “It allows students to work in a challenging, multi-cultural environment and expand their perspectives.”
Miller, too, appreciated how the team progressed as the students worked toward a common goal. “The team has given me the excellent chance to be a leader and gain practical experience in international commercial arbitration,” he said of being captain. “I have no doubt that future teams will continue this team’s strong tradition.”
Professor Frank Emmert is a big proponent of the team at IU McKinney, and the team expressed its appreciation for his help, as well as the support of the law firm Bingham Greenebaum Doll.
In the photo from left are Semary, Miller, Kpotufe, Koester, and Hedin with the Vienna skyline behind them.
