YBAÑEZ, KRIZZIA MAY E.

Reflection Paper
National Moot Court Training Series (September 7-8, 2019 | FSUU)

This 2-day activity conducted by the UP Law Center with FSUU College of
Law as recipient was a generous opportunity for us FSUU Law students to learn
about Mooting from the experts and to have a glimpse of International Law.
I have learned that in Mooting, you do not simply convey whatever you
have in mind about a certain topic. It requires extensive research and constant
practice which may take months in order to write and prepare an excellent
memorial. According to Atty. Maricel Seno of the Philippine Society of
International Law who gave a very informative introduction to moot court, there
are a lot of things to consider in mooting which we may apply in moot court
competitions or in the real courts. These include legal analysis, research, writing,
oral arguments and language. In analysis, although we are not taught critical
thinking in school, we are trained to read and digest cases according to its facts,
ratio, decision. In research, she emphasized its importance of how a well-
researched pleading may affect judges’ decisions and that although almost 90%
can be googled or found online, she encouraged the use of libraries and
hardbound SCRAs and Journals. She also gave tips and strategies on how to do
legal research and legal writing. Atty. Seno mentioned that to moot is to learn
one’s advocacy. In learning advocacy, one should know both the strengths and
weaknesses of his arguments. While one has to defend his own argument, he
must recognize where the other side is coming from. One has to learn to pick his
battles too. It meant to choose arguments that will work better in a given time.
The pleadings must at least be precise and concise so as to capture the judge’s
attention who only got time to skim because of the many cases on their plates.
She also highlighted the concept of ‘grace under time pressure’ and how
mooting effectively works with a team with members who share same passion.
The exhibition round was also a brilliant and intense display of ideas,
arguments and talents. More than the form itself, the substance of the matter
presented and discussed by different teams was of paramount relevance
because it involves the Philippines in its struggle to enforce the arbitration result
in its favor versus China on the issue on West Philippine or South China Sea. To
become a public speaker or simply an eloquent and confident speaker is still my
biggest frustration to date. I always admire people my age or even the young
ones who can speak so well. It could somehow be one of the reasons why I took
up law school: so that I can practice speaking during recitations with minimal
grammatical errors and of course, with sense or logic.
The lecture on International Law by Atty. Neil Simon Silva on the following
day was somehow a brief but an enlightening presentation of how international
law works and how it was adopted by the Philippine legal system. As part of the
Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea of the UP Law Center, Atty.
Silva, impressive and passionate as he is, talked on the genesis or historical
background of International Law, its concept and present practice, the
international bodies which uphold it, the territorial and maritime zones in
general, and the exclusive and economic zone in particular. He also shared his
legal knowledge about the standing issue on the West Philippine or South China
Sea between the Philippines and China and even gave moot court problems.
The short message rendered by Hon. Atty. Josefe Sorrera-Ty was also
inspiring at the same time moving because of her painful experience in mooting,
the sacrifices she underwent for it. Her wisdom never failed to stir me up the
reason I look up to her while trying to follow her example in my own little ways.
In conclusion, even though I was there only as an observer and not as a
participant to the moot court, there were indeed so much to learn and I felt the
significance of this activity to law students who aspire to become lawyers in the
future. I commend the UP Law Center, its accompanying lawyers as well as the
UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union, for coming up with this training series
and for sharing their time, effort, passion and love for mooting.