These are student competitions organized by ELSA Kyiv.
The format replicated an actual court hearing, with a panel of three judges, a presiding judge, and teams acting as claimants and respondents.
Depending on the draw, participating teams represented either side of the dispute.
Ganna Gnizdovska, Managing Partner of Juris Ferrum and a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Law of Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University, regularly coaches teams from her home faculty for various student moot court competitions.
This time, her team, “Jus Arte,” represented by third-year law students Dmytro Balaban and Daria Stepanova, won second place in the moot court competition.
We tried to keep track of how many times they represented the claimants and how many times they appeared for the respondents. But the rounds were so intense that by the semifinals we lost count — and simply decided to cheer for them.
We congratulate the team — Dmytro Balaban and Daria Stepanova — as well as their coach, Hanna Hnizdovska, on their well-deserved second place. We know the preparation was done under tight deadlines, yet they delivered.
We wish them a good rest and at least a little time to enjoy their success — if not now, then when.
P.S. Though in truth, we also hope they continue competing and earning prizes. Because simply resting on one’s laurels, in our view, is a bit boring.