On 13^th – 14^th February the local group of ELSA Lviv hosted the National Round of the ELSA Moot Court Competition (EMC²). Taking into account, that Ukraine is a quite young member of the World Trade Organization (since 2008), the lack of specialists in this field is understandable.  That is why this competition is designed to promote WTO standards, to prepare qualified lawyers with deepened knowledge in legal regulations of international trade and to further develop the participant’s practical skills.

Seven teams registered to participate in the EMC² this year. They represented leading universities of Ukraine in Kyiv, Lviv, Ostroh, Odessa, Donetsk. Students of Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University and members of the runner-up from Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko Kiev National University will represent Ukraine in the Regional Round in Leuven. Irina Polovets, showed the best personal results throughout all the rounds of the competition and was nominated as the best oralist.  Students from Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Donetsk National University and National University "Ostrog Academy" also proved to be well prepared and structured. In general it seems as if the participants’ level of quality is improving each year and the judges found it very difficult to determine the winner team.

The jury or the "Panellists", according to the WTO terminology, represented leading lawyers and experts in WTO law and Intellectual Property Law; namely Daniyil Fedorchuk (“BEITEN BURKHARDT Rechtsanwälte "), Taras Kyslyy (“Magisters”), Andrey Nikolaenko (Magisters), Natalia Mykolska (“Vasil Kisil Attorneys-and-Councelors-in Law”), Natalia Meshcheryakova (Expert of the Bureau of Intellectual Property), Boris Danevych ("Paritet"), Olga Romanenko (DLA Piper), Olena Hladyuk (Volkov Kozyakov and Partners), Alexander Bereza and Yuriy Matrynovskyy.

Elsa Lviv were proud to have the law firm "Magisters" as the general partner of the EMC². LF “Volkov Kozyakov & Partners” and media partner LIGA:ZAKON made a great contribution to the organization as well. Brodych Khrystyna and Maryana Horban, Vice Presidents Academic Activities of ELSA Ukraine and ELSA Lviv did a fantastic job in organizing this competition. Other dedicated members of the European Law Students Association – ELSA Ukraine - Andriy Romanchuk, Zoya Stankovska took an active part in this event as well. We are very proud of the whole ELSA Ukraine team whose members always make their personal contributions to the development of our country, law and student society every day.