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Four students from ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Dedman School of Law competed in the 32nd annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held April 11–17 in Vienna, Austria.

The team, composed of third-year law students Cameron Bonk, Ellie Sherwood, Kyle Mann, and Nicholas Smetzer, placed in the top 64 out of more than 400 teams representing 88 countries. They were one of only five U.S. teams to reach that level in this year’s global competition. The team was coached by Professor Carla Reyes, with Skyanne Simonson ’23 serving as assistant coach.

The Vis Moot is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for law students, designed to promote the study and practice of international commercial sales law and arbitration. Each year, students argue a dispute based on a fictional contract between companies in different countries, governed by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. The case is resolved through arbitration under rotating procedural rules provided by co-sponsoring institutions.

“Being a member of the Vis Moot team has been the highlight of my law school experience,” said Sherwood.

The competition serves as practical training for students, reflecting the business community’s growing preference for resolving international disputes through arbitration. The team’s participation was made possible by generous support from HKA and the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Rowling Center for Business Law & Leadership.

“With the resources of HKA’s preeminent international arbitration practice, we are pleased to support the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Vis Moot team and help develop the international arbitration leaders of tomorrow,” said Adam Wingard, partner at HKA.

This year’s performance marks a milestone for ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Dedman School of Law as it continues to expand its global legal education offerings and prepare students for careers in international and cross-border practice.