Stetson University College of Law’s Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team competed April 13-18 in Vienna, Austria, with 372 teams from 80 countries to finish in the elite top eight of law schools that competed from across the planet.

Stetson Law alumnus Jason Stearns, J.D. ’08, and Professor Stephanie Vaughan coached and traveled with the team of students Matthew Ceriale, Ryan Dwyer, Kyle McCabe and Clare McQueen. Dwyer was recognized individually with an honorable mention oralist award. 

“This is the furthest Stetson has advanced in the Vis Moot in more than six years, and it is the largest field of teams ever competing in Vienna,” said Professor Vaughan. “It is truly difficult to put into words what this group of students has done for Stetson. We are certainly back on the international map.”  

The team also performed well in a pre-moot at the historic Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. The Peace Palace hosts the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and is known world-wide. Only 16 teams were invited to participate in The Hague and Stetson is the only team from the U.S. that was invited. 

The field is narrowed to 64 teams after four preliminary rounds. Stetson advanced to the round of 64 and proceeded to beat teams from Lebanon in the round of 64, Uruguay in the round of 32, and Sweden in the round of 16. In the round of eight, Stetson’s team was ultimately defeated by Ottawa, which made it to the final round. 

To learn more about advocacy at Stetson Law, visit www2.stetson.edu/law/advocacy. 

-Brandi Palmer