Academic Activities are a tool for providing legal information and assist the development of the legal profession in Europe. Through the Academic Activities ELSA makes a direct contribution to legal education.
ELSA has during the years developed a considerable number of different projects. Publications such as ELSA Selected Papers on European Law (SPEL) and ELSA Guide to Legal Studies in Europe (GLSE) are an important part of ELSA's activities. The GLSE is also a part of the Studies Abroad Programme, which has as objective to encourage students to study in foreign countries. Furthermore, there are competitions such as Moot Court Competitions and Essay Competitions, and events organised with professional life in mind within the Lawyers at Work events.
In order to enable individuals to make use of the widespread ELSA network to obtain scientific legal information that may not be available in their own countries ELSA focuses on legal research. This research can be done with the help of the Legal Research Groups and the ELSA Law Web.
Moot Court Competition :
The idea of moot court comes from the Anglo-Saxon academic tradition. Originally they came from American universities where they are a constant and official part of legal education. Nowadays many other countries have adopted this kind of legal education as well.
The aim of a moot court is to improve the legal knowledge of students. It is of primary importance to prepare and train them for proper and successful acting in court, the use of rhetoric gestures, speaking without notes, self confidence and intellectual flexibility. A moot court will teach the kind of knowledge that is important for the practical aspects of a lawyer's life - to create links between theory and practice.
Moot Courts are a very good exercise in which students can put the academic knowledge acquired at the universities to practice while enhancing their presentation and public speaking skills. It is for this reason that ELSA encourages moot court competitions.
Every year several national moot court competitions are organised by national ELSA Groups. Competitions taking place at local level are even more numerous. Furthermore, ELSA International arranges an international
ELSA moot court competition.
For more information on national and/or local competitions please contact the respective ELSA group.
For information about the international competition please contact
ELSA International.
