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Moot Court 2025/26
© Hannah Hafenscher
The Team
The University of Vienna’s team for the 2025/2026 Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition was composed of Sarah Kermer, Melina Klambauer, Emily Koch, Sayla Saransig, Christian Stehlik and Valentin Voith. The team was accompanied by the coach Martin Tomus and supported by the co-coach Michael Schmidbauer.
Achievements in the Competition
Following months of intensive preparation, including drafting memorials and participating in extensive pleading sessions, the team competed at the European Rounds held at Université Paris Cité in Paris. There, they successfully qualified for the International Rounds in Oxford and were awarded Best Memorials in Europe.
At the International Rounds, held from 13 to 17 April 2026 at the University of Oxford, the team competed against leading law schools from around the world. After winning all three matches of the preliminary rounds, the University of Vienna advanced to the Octo-Finals, placing among the top 16 teams globally for the first time in its team’s history.
In addition, the team received the award for Best Memorials worldwide, recognising the exceptional quality of its written submissions, meaning that the team’s written solution to the case was considered the best among all 86 participating teams this year.
The Case
The 2025/2026 case centred on the alleged surveillance of a journalist and her source seeking to expose the covert use of facial recognition technology in a state confronted with the threat of transnational drug cartels. The case raised complex questions, inter alia, concerning whistleblowing, national security, the protection of journalistic sources and the legal implications of online speech.
For more information, have a look at our blog post.
Moot Court 2024/25
© Adriana Winkelmeier
The Team
The University of Vienna’s Moot Court team of 2024/25, from left to right: Viktor Zlabinger, Ana Gabriela Neagu, Anna Lehner, Ljubica Mitić, Flora Eisenmenger, and Lorenz Thöni.
This year, the team was coached by Adriana Winkelmeier and supported by Michael Schmidbauer.
Achievements in the Competition
From 5 to 7 February 2025, the University of Vienna’s team demonstrated its legal skills at the European Rounds of the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition. Like in the previous year, the European Rounds were held at Université Paris Cité and organized by the University of Oxford. After months of preparation, the team succeeded in qualifying for the prestigious International Rounds in Oxford, held in April 2025.
In Oxford, the team engaged in a challenging week of oral pleadings, competing against top law schools from around the world. The competition was hosted by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford and was accompanied by lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities with students, professors, and legal practitioners from across the globe.
A special highlight of the week was the formal closing ceremony in Oxford’s historic Sheldonian Theatre, where participants gathered with judges and academics from around the world—a memorable end to an unforgettable experience.
The Case
The 2024/25 case focused on a social media influencer operating in a politically unstable environment. The legal questions addressed the responsibilities of online platforms, the regulation of Artificial Intelligence, and the complex interplay between freedom of expression and the right to a private life.
For more information, have a look at our blog post.
Moot Court 2023/24
© Adriana Winkelmeier
The Team
The University of Vienna’s Moot Court team of 2023/24, from left to right: Marah Kobler, Dalma Trebulová, Fabian Jelicic, Moritz Happerger, Viktoria Fichtenbauer, and Hannah Bertoluzza.
This year marked a milestone for the team, as it was the first time participants came from both the Law Diploma Studies and the Bachelor’s Program in International Law. The team was coached by Filip Paspalj and supported by Adriana Winkelmeier.
The 2023/24 competition holds special significance as it marked Filip Paspalj's final Moot Court as a coach, having successfully led the teams of the past three years. His performance as a coach has been outstanding, and the knowledge accumulated over the years will be carried forward by Adriana Winkelmeier, who has already begun to take over coaching responsibilities this year.
Achievements in the Competition
The University of Vienna’s team demonstrated its legal skills at the Europe Rounds, held from 31 January to 2 February 2024. For the first time, the European Rounds were merged and hosted at Université Paris Cité. Our Moot Court team achieved 2nd place, proudly earning the title of European runner-up.
This impressive performance qualified the team for the international rounds in Oxford, held from 15 to 19 April 2024, where they engaged in a week of intense and exciting rounds, competing against top teams from around the world.
The Case
The 2023/24 case centered on a social media influencer and raised complex questions regarding Artificial Intelligence and armed conflicts—subjects at the forefront of today’s global issues.
For more information, have a look at our blog post: Europe Rounds of the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition
Moot Court 2022/23
© Kilian Mock
The Team
The University of Vienna’s Moot Court team of 2022/23, from left to right: Lukas Klewein, Laura Sark, Anna Lumerding, Anouk Weber, Michael Schmidbauer and Thorsten Besenböck. The team was coached by Filip Paspalj.
Achievements in the Competition
The University of Vienna showcased its legal expertise at the Central Eastern Europe Regional Rounds, hosted at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest from December 1st to 3rd 2022. Notably, the team qualified for the International Rounds at the University of Oxford, which marked a first for the University of Vienna. A particular highlight was Michael Schmidbauer's achievement of 3rd Place Oralist.
The Case
The 2022/23 case centered on freedom of expression in the academic context, covering pressing issues such as AI-based content moderation on social media and freedom of assembly.
Moot Court 2021/22
The Team
The University of Vienna’s Moot Court team 2021/22, from left to right: Lara Berger, Martin Salamon, Dina Mutevelic, Kristina Petz and Anna Tauber. The team was coached by Filip Paspalj, who took on this role for the first time.
Achievements in the Competition
The University of Vienna participated in the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition for the second time. The team competed in the South East Europe Rounds, hosted online by Eötvös Loránd University from December 7th to 10th, and secured 6th place. A standout performance was delivered by Lara Berger, who was awarded Runner-up Oralist.
The Case
The case examined the balance between freedom of expression and its limitations, and the impact of these limitations on presidential elections. It highlighted the case of a former president and a well-known influencer who made statements on a social media platform that potentially constituted hate speech, fake news, and incitement to violence, thus raising questions about the removal of content from such platforms and the state's responsibility.
For more information, have a look at our blog post.
Moot Court 2020/21
The Team
The University of Vienna made its debut at the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition in 2020/21. Representing the team from left to right are Irene Kristler, Lukas Bernauer, Nicole Bochnicek, Verena Rauch, Réka Dorottya Varga, and coach Max Königseder.
The Case
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the case centered on pressing issues: freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in times of a pandemic. The team examined how these fundamental rights could be balanced with public health measures, tackling complex legal questions relevant to society today.