DLA Piper trains Emirati students
19 Mar 2012
DLA Piper, the global law firm, has been training some of the UAE’s most promising law students from the UAE University in Al Ain to compete at the internationally acclaimed Monroe E. Price International Media Law Moot Court Competition at Oxford university, London. The students leave for England tomorrow and have received training from a number of Partners, including Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout, the Regional Managing Partner at DLA Piper Middle East.
The five students, including two females, and two chaperones are being flown courteously of Etihad Airways to Oxford for the moot, or mock-trial, the second year running the students have taken part and the fifth year running they're taken part in an international mooting competition.
"The UAE Legal curriculum focuses on the UAE Arabic laws and competitions such as this are a vital way to teach the students how international laws operate," commented Professor Jassim Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Dean of the Faculty of law at the UAE University in Al Ain. "They are hungry to learn all aspect of international law and this is a great way to introduce them to students from around the world and show them how international laws work in practice, essential skills for their future careers.
"We're delighted that for the fifth year running DLA Piper has supported the initiative, a move that highlights the strong commitment the firm has to the local community. We would especially like to thank the lawyers who gave their time free of charge to help train the students for the competition, and wish the students the best of luck in the moot."
Sponsorship of the UAE University Law Team forms part of the innovative and leading CR programme at DLA Piper, and represents the firm’s commitment to unlocking local talent and attracting Emiratis to work in the private sector. Through its sponsorship of the UAE University Law Team, DLA Piper’s legal consultants have
helped to train the aspiring university law students in the art of litigation and prepare them for the mock court case, during which they will compete against other top international law students.
Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout, Regional Managing Partner, DLA Piper Middle East, also commented: "We are delighted to support the students from Al Ain University. The students showed great passion in preparing for the moot and we're sure they will demonstrate their exceptional capabilities during the competition. We wish them the best of luck in the competition and look forward to welcoming them back, hopefully as champions."
DLA Piper's sponsorship not only provides training sessions for the students in Mooting skills, but also covers accommodation costs and expenses of five students and two chaperones taking part in the Moot. The cost of their travel has been donated by Etihad Airways. The Price Moot Court was established in 2008 and has grown significantly over the past several years. The competition is named in honour of Professor Monroe E. Price, the founder of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford's Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, in recognition of his lifelong devotion and outstanding contribution to the development of media freedom and the rule of law.
The Price Moot Court Competition is organised by the Programme in Comparative Media Law & Policy at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies within the Faculty of Law, in collaboration with the International Media Lawyers Association, University Oxford. The competition, which is open to students from around the world, attracts around 30 law schools, and is a vital part of the students education.
DLA Piper's ongoing support of the UAE University is part of its global Corporate Responsibility programme. In each of DLA Piper's offices around the world, the firm makes a serious commitment to public service by dedicating its employees time and legal experience to projects related to education, enterprise and equality. In 2011, we dedicated more than 190,000 hours of pro bono hours globally, making us the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the world. In the Middle East, the firm provides pro bono support to many organisations including being the legal services provider for INJAZ al-Arab, who harnesses the mentorship and skills of business leaders to help inspire a culture of entrepreneurialism and business innovation among Arab youth.
The students travel to Oxford, England on the 20 March and the competition will run from 21 March to 24, 2012.