University of Pittsburgh to Host Niagara International Moot Court Competition March 8-9

February 21, 2002

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh School of Law Center for International Legal Education will host the 2002 Niagara International Moot Court Competition March 8-9 in the School of Law's Teplitz Memorial Courtroom. Two March 8 preliminary rounds are scheduled for 3:30–5:30 p.m. and 6–8 p.m. On March 9, two additional preliminary rounds will be held from10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. The final championship round featuring the final two teams will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. March 9. All of the moot court sessions are free and open to the public.

A by-invitation-only awards banquet and dinner party will follow the final round at 7 p.m. March 9 in the University Club at 123 University Place in Oakland.

The Niagara International Moot Court Competition is sponsored by the Canada-United States Law Institute, located at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Oh. It originated more than 20 years ago in recognition of the common traditions and social and economic ties that exist between Canadians and Americans living in the Great Lakes Region. The originators sought to bring together law students from both sides of the border in a moot court competition involving an international law problem affecting both Canada and the United States. This year's problem involves export control issues and the shipment of goods from Canada to Libya.

The University of Pittsburgh welcomes teams from the University of Western Ontario, Washington College of Law, Loyola University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University, Queen's University, University of Windsor, Cornell University, University of Toronto, and University of Buffalo. Each team consists of four students and a coach.

Judges for the championship round will be John Ellicott, senior counsel at Covington & Burling, practicing in the fields of U.S. export trade and foreign transaction control regulations; Colleen Swords, deputy legal advisor and director general, Bureau of Legal Affairs, at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa; and Mark Walter, a Pittsburgh-based attorney who works closely with Pitt's Center for International Legal Education and created this year's problem.

In addition, more than 50 attorneys and judges from the Pittsburgh area will judge the preliminary rounds.

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