The Friends of ERA Association acknowledges the importance of recognising and celebrating the professional and legal skills of the young generation of lawyers by offering cash prizes to the best contestants. Not only that: it also offers the young generation of European lawyers other opportunities by inviting them to keep in touch long-term as part of the Young Friends of ERA network.
The Association hopes to encourage and foster these young spirits for many years to come, so that they will become successful European lawyers and also support ERA over the years. In recognition, both were awarded a scholarship to an ERA event of their choice. Over the course of several months, twelve teams of young lawyers from fifteen EU Member States successfully completed several rounds, including written reports and the oral presentation thereof semi-finals , a negotiation exercise and for the two finalist teams, a moot court.
In the final, held in the esteemed courtroom of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, the two best teams pleaded before judges from the General Court. An unforgettable experience! One of the best parts of this contest is to witness jurors sharing their experiences on pleading techniques with their young peers. A truly valuable moment for everyone!
Launched in as a test run in cooperation with CCBE, the contest, which has been financed under the EU Justice Programme since , allows participants to hone their professional skills and legal expertise in the context of EU law. The teams comprise lawyers from different Member States, allowing them to compare different national legal approaches, to reach a common understanding of EU law and to share views on the key aspects of the defence of the rule of law in the European Union.
Our team tackled complex scenarios, starting with a cross-border merger negotiation and culminating in a moot court case judged by three esteemed judges from the Court of Justice of the European Union. Competing in this environment pushed us to refine our legal reasoning and advocacy skills under real-world conditions, where every argument was scrutinized.
