The Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law at the Institute of European and Comparative Law (IECL) is a unique competition for law students in Oxford to hone their comparative legal skills by advising on German Law in English. It is organised by Dr Johannes Ungerer, Erich Brost Senior Research Lecturer in German Law, European and International Private Law.
Oxford undergraduate law students reading for the BA in Law with German Law, who will be spending their third year of study at the University of Munich or Bonn, participate in this moot together with exchange students from these German universities, who are in Oxford reading for the Diploma in Legal Studies. The teams are given a comparative case study, which requires them to inform an English client about a German legal issue. To recognise the participants’ work, they will receive certificates and have the chance to win prizes. The event culminates in a celebratory reception and dinner, which provides an opportunity for the participants and other German law students in Oxford to network with practitioners and academics.
Inaugural Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law 2023
The inaugural Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law took place at the Faculty of Law on Thursday 2nd February 2023. It was funded by a generous donation from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB.
The panel of the inaugural moot was chaired by Lord Mance, former Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court. He was joined by Dr Alice Möller-Roth from Freshfields and by Dr Johannes Ungerer.
The moot addressed a cross-border contract law problem between a car manufacturer in Oxford and a German supplier.
2024 Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law
The second Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law took place on Thursday 22nd February 2024, building on the successful inception last year. The event was made possible again by a generous donation from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater PartG mbB.
The moot panel was chaired in 2024 by Professor Iyiola Solanke. She was joined by Dr Lotze from Freshfields and by Dr Ungerer.
The moot concerned a fictional consultation by the Law Commission on the legal framework for alternative dispute resolution (ADR), for which insights from German law were required.
2025 Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law
In 2025, the Oxford Comparative Moot in German Law took place on Thursday 6 March 2025 with the generous support by Dr Martin Mekat and his colleagues from Freshfields PartG mbB. Organised by Dr Johannes Ungerer with the help of Elisabeth Müller, the Moot brought together students, academics, and practitioners interested in climate change litigation from a German-English comparative perspective. The panel was chaired by Professor Katja Ziegler, who is the Sir Robert Jennings Professor at the University of Leicester; Rechtsanwältin Stefanie Fay, a partner at Freshfields; and Dr Ungerer.
The Moot required the participating students to analyse an ongoing climate change case before the Oberlandesgericht Hamm in Germany and to respond to questions about how the principles employed in this case can also play a role in English law.
