American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) students Katherine Angell (2L), Madyson Brown (2L), and Elise Hall (3L) competed in the Jack Tieder Pre-Moot hosted by George Mason University (GMU) Antonin Scalia Law School. The pre-moot prepared students for the 33rd Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, which will take place in Vienna, Austria from March 27th to April 2nd, 2026.

Throughout the pre-moot, Angell, Brown, and Hall paired up to represent both the Claimant and Respondent in the case, which centers around a breached sales contract for the rare Vanilla Planifolia Mediterraniensis, or Vanilla Orchid. After facing teams from GMU and Georgetown University Law Center, the team advanced to the final round and secured a unanimous decision in their favor over Harvard Law School.

“We were excited to see our dedication and preparation pay off at GMU, and we cannot wait to continue learning about commercial arbitration and refining our arguments over the course of the semester,” said Brown.

Later this spring, the team, which also includes 3L Grace Schepis, will participate in additional preparatory pre-moots held in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Budapest, Hungary ahead of pleadings in Vienna. The team has also scheduled various virtual scrimmages with teams from around the world.

Last year, AUWCL’s team broke program records at the 32nd Vis Moot. Out of 384 schools, AUWCL advanced through four knockout rounds to the round of the final 32 teams, tying with Case Western University as the farthest advancing U.S. programs. Out of thousands of individual competitors, Laurel Cunningham (‘25) received a Best Oralist Honorable Mention for her advocacy during the competition. Building on last year’s historic run to the Round of 32, this year’s squad aims to further cement AUWCL’s reputation as a global powerhouse in international arbitration.

For additional information about the AUWCL Vis team or to organize a pre-moot with our Vis team, please contact the WCL Moot Court Honor Society.