17吃瓜在线

What makes this Competition unique?

• The Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition (hereinafter 鈥淐ompetition鈥�) is the only trilingual (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) moot court competition based on the Inter-American legal system. The Competition offers students the opportunity to learn about the regional human rights system by analyzing a hypothetical case and the opportunity to interact directly with well-known figures of the legal system. In addition to participating in the Competition itself, students take advantage of the Competition鈥檚 location (Washington, DC) by interacting with representatives from major non-governmental organizations such as the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, among other institutions based in Washington, DC.

Who runs the Competition?

• The 17吃瓜在线 Washington College of Law Academy of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (hereinafter 鈥淎cademy鈥�) administers and runs the Competition, which was founded in 1995 by Washington College of Law (hereinafter 鈥淲CL鈥�) former Dean Claudio Grossman. Currently, the Co-directors of the Academy of Human Rights, Professor Claudia Martin and Professor Diego Rodr铆guez-Pinz贸n lead the academic and logistical aspects of the Competition along with Gabriel Ortiz (Program Coordinator of the Competition).听The Competition is also possible because of the work provided by Academic Students Fellows and additional members of the Technical Committee, who are generally former participants of the Competition.

What are the rules of the Competition?

• The 2024听Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition Official Rules (hereinafter 鈥淥fficial Rules鈥�) explain the structure of the Competition and provide other important information. The Official Rules are located in the Competition鈥檚 website and are modified every year. Therefore, we encourage everyone (participants, instructors, observers, and judges) to carefully read them. For any further questions or clarifications, please feel free to contact the Competition at iamoot@wcl.american.edu.听

How can I find out more information about the Competition?

• If you need more information听you may contact the Competition Coordinator, via e-mail at iamoot@wcl.american.edu.

How can I participate in the Competition?

You can participate in one of five ways:

• Competitor: Current law students studying toward a Juris Doctor (JD) degree or its international equivalent are eligible to participate in a two-person team representing their school. Teammates work together to research and write a legal brief (memorial) and argue orally, at least twice, during the Preliminary Oral Round held in Washington, D.C.听Each team should possess Institutional support to participate.听Reason of which we request every Dean to certify each team.

• Coach: Each team has one or two coaches (usually an international law professor or a local attorney with experience in the International Law field or even former moot court participants) to assist teams with registering, fundraising, and obtaining official approval for the team鈥檚 participation. They also assist and help students to develop research strategies and offer general guidance about the overall structure of their arguments. Coaches typically accompany their teams to Washington, D.C. for the oral rounds.听Although it is not mandatory, it is highly recommended.

• Observer: Attending as an observer is an excellent opportunity for non-competitors or non-coaches to experience the Competition. Observers are invited to attend all events open to competitors and coaches, and may participate as judges. Observers attend oral round sessions, receptions, ceremonies, and many other events throughout the Competition week. Observers do not submit written memorials or present oral arguments. If a judge has a conflict of interest with any participant university, they should disclose that information. The Technical Committee will ensure that judges have appropriate means to disclose that information.

• Judge: Judges are attorneys who possess some experience in International Law and volunteer themselves to score the memorials and the oral rounds.听 Judges receive a Bench Memorandum with specific arguments they should expect to see as they grade the memorials and the oral rounds.听 Judges may score memorials and/or oral rounds.听 In addition, a Judge can commit to scoring only the memorials if he/she is unable to attend the Competition.听听If a judge has a conflict of interest with any participant university, they should disclose that information. The Technical Committee will ensure that judges have appropriate means to disclose that information.

• Bailiff: Any person with an interest in Moot Court or the Inter-American System may apply to be a bailiff, including, but not limited to,听students high school age or older, educators, and legal professionals. Interested parties should apply online by the date indicated in the Competition calendar. Bailiffs supervise the oral rounds and keep time and order during the rounds.

• Alumni: All former participants, coaches, observers, and judges are invited to join the Competition Alumni Association (hereinafter 鈥淐AA鈥�). As a member, you are invited to communicate with fellow alumni and to offer the Competition organizers suggestions as to how to improve the Competition, help coordinate local events at your former school and, in general, to promote the Competition to a new generation of law students.听Please note that on June 23, 2023, the Academy decided to seize any relations with the CAA following a series of irregularities during the election process if the new board of directors (see ).

What languages are required for the Competition?

• The Competition is conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. While knowledge of two or more of these languages is helpful, competitors, coaches, and judges need not be bilingual. When necessary, interpreters will provide simultaneous interpretation during the oral rounds and other events of the Competition.听However, your opponents鈥� memorials will only be available in the original language in which they are submitted.听Some administrative forms, such as the registration or 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 additional forms, might be available only in English. Thus, online translation tools are recommended.

How much does it cost to attend the Competition?

• Team registration fee: The fee per team is $1250 for one coach and two students, or $1700 for two coaches and two students.

• Observers registration fee: Observers pay $450 to attend and participate in all Competition events. The Observer registration fee is non-refundable.

• Judge registration fee: Judges are not charged with a fee.

• Bailiff: Bailiffs are not charged with a fee.

• Miscellaneous expenses: Each Competition participant should budget at least $65听per day to cover food, travel within Washington, D.C., and sight-seeing. The cost for each team member to attend the Competition for seven days and seven nights is approximately $765听(not including team registration fee and airfare to and from Washington, D.C. for each person)

When and how does a team register for the Competition?

• 搁别驳颈蝉迟谤补迟颈辞苍听for the Competition open on November 1^st each year and can be conducted entirely online through our . Please note that all registration form for the moot court competition are administered in GOOGLE forms. In the past, we use to have an internal moot court registration system that is no longer working. If you still have access to your account on our older system, do not use it. Information received through the older system will not be reviewed by the Technical Committee.听Visit the Competition page听to fill out your information directly in the registration form听which is on the upper-bottom right side of the screen titled 鈥淩egistration and other forms鈥�.听The registration deadlines are determined in the official Competition calendar. Teams are encouraged to complete their registration and start the United States visa application process as early as possible.

• Team registration must include the name of the law school, dean, coach, and the name of the two student competitors. After the online registration is complete, we require the signature of your law school or university faculty dean, and the registration payment. Upon registration and receipt of the Dean鈥檚 Authorization Form and fee, Participant Teams will be assigned their Role and a Team Number, which will be used to identify the Team throughout the Competition. A Team is only considered registered once it receives its Team Number and Role assignment.

Who and how can an observer register?

• Participating institutions may bring the number of observers necessary for education purposes. However, the Technical Committee reserves the right to limit the number of Observers from any individual institution due to limited space in the Competition venue or other considerations in the best interest of the Competition. Furthermore, if you are not part of a participating team but would like to participate as an observer, you have to submit a written letter to the Technical Committee justifying the need to attend the Competition (iamoot@wcl.american.edu).

Is there a registration fee to attend the Competition?

The prices are:

• Team with 1 coach: $1250

• Team with 2 coaches: $1700

• Observer: $450

When and how do I pay?

• Participants are听strongly encouraged to pay with a credit card through online registration.听听We accept Visa, Master Card and American Express. We also accept bank transfers, money orders, and checks.听Since a couple of years ago, the University has transitioned to a new payment method. Please follow our main webpage to have access to the credit card payment form for every year. If you choose to pay via wire transfer, please check the american University banking information here.

• Housing at 17吃瓜在线: please be aware that participant are free to stay in any housing option that they want. 17吃瓜在线 provides preferential rates for the housing services through the main campus. Housing at the 17吃瓜在线 dormitories is a separate office and, therefore, all housing payments must be directed to tthe Special events of 17吃瓜在线 of Washington College of Law. Please note that housing at the University will only open starting on Monday May 20^th .听 Therefore, if you choose to stay with 17吃瓜在线 housing, you need to be aware that there will not be housing services available for May 19th, when the Competition opening ceremony is taking place. Registration for Housing at 17吃瓜在线 is open at this 听

• Housing at partner Hotel: The moot court made a partnership at the Embassy Suites Chevy Chase Pavilion that will provide hosing service for the whole Moot Court week. Please book and pay your room through this webpage 听(the link is a close registration for moot court participants only)

When and how does a Judge register?

• The judge registration form will be available online at the Competition website in our . It should take us around 30 days to review your application. As soon as you submit it, we will be notified that you have applied. Please do not contact us to get information regarding the status of your application unless it is taking longer than 30 days. Once the judge registration form is completed, you will receive an e-mail notification letting you know that we have received your registration form. Judges that are selected by the Technical Committee to participate will be notified and should register their availability with the Competition Organizers.听There is no registration fee for judges to participate. Judges that speak any of the three official languages are welcome to participate and those judges unable to join us in Washington, D.C. for the oral rounds can still participate by grading the written memorials.

When and how does a Bailiff register?

• The bailiff registration form will be available online at the Competition website in our . The Technical Committee will review applications as received and will choose individuals to serve as bailiffs on an as-needed basis. There are twenty (20) positions available, and once all the positions have been filled, registration will close. 听There is no registration fee for Bailiffs to participate.

Where does the Competition take place?

• The Competition will be held on the WCL campus (4300 Nebraska Ave., NW), located minutes away from downtown Washington, D.C., home to the United States Congress, the White House, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, internationally renowned museums, and a variety of ethnic restaurants.听

Where do participants traditionally stay during the Competition?

• Please be aware that participant are free to stay in any housing option that they want. 17吃瓜在线 provides preferential rates for the housing services through the main campus dormitories located at the 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW (1/4 mile south of the law school building).听Please note that housing at the University will only open starting on Monday May 20^th . Thus, the moot court made a partnership at the Embassy Suites Chevy Chase Pavilion. Please book and pay your room through this webpage 听(the link is a close registration for moot court participants only). All Competition events will be held at the law school building. There is a shuttle bus that runs for free from main campus to the WCL at least twice an hour.听

• For more information, please check the Accommodation section bellow and the housing payment information.

When should I arrive at the Competition?

• All competitors, coaches, and observers should arrive at the Competition on the Sunday morning before the Competition begins. Check-in will typically be held from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Competition headquarters at the WCL campus (4300 Nebraska Avenue NW). Please check the Welcome book of each year competition to verify the schedule of the current year. At that time you will receive your Welcome Packets, Preliminary Oral Round assignments, and opponents'听Memorials. Teams are expected to have filled out all the registration forms by the moment they complete the check-in. That evening, we will have an opening ceremony at the law school building.

• Judges should check-in with the organizers at the Competition headquarters at the WCL campus (4300 Nebraska Ave.,NW) at least 20 minutes prior to judging their scheduled oral round.听New judges are required to attend the training session, and experienced judges are more than welcome to come.

• Bailiffs must attend a training session as indicated on the Competition calendar. Bailiffs must report to Competition headquarters at the WCL campus (4300 Nebraska Avenue NW) thirty (30) minutes prior to their scheduled rounds.

How do I get a visa to attend the Competition?

• Changing United States government regulations are making travel visas harder to get. It is extremely important that all participants start the application process as far in advance as possible. Backlogs at United States consulates are causing delays of weeks and months to schedule interviews. Do not hesitate to start your visa application regardless if you have received or not any information about the states of your application to the moot court.

• Contact the local United States Consulate and apply for a tourist visa as soon as possible. However, each visa applicant is personally responsible for providing all other pertinent information to the consulate in accordance with United States regulations. Contact the consular officer at the American Embassy in your country for more information.听If there is no embassy or consulate of the United States in your country, make your own research on which is the most appropriate consulate where you can file a visa application.

• To obtain a visa, you must present documentation with your full name (include all of your last names) and an explanation of how your trip will be funded (travel, food, accommodations, etc). If your school is paying for all or part of your trip, you should obtain an official letter from the school stating their financial contribution.

• The Technical Committee of the Competition can provide you with a supporting letter for your visa application certifying your participation in the moot court. Please be aware that we are only going to send the support letter if you request it via email (iamoot@wcl.american.edu). Participants that do not request it, should not expect this letter.

• Please allow plenty of time for processing United States visa applications.

What dates should I know?

• Registration opens: For the 2024听Competition, registration will open on November 15, 2023.听 Once you have sent your registration form with the Dean's authorization signature on it, each participant member has completed the consent and release form, and you have paid the registration fee, we will assign you a role and a team number.

• Hypothetical case availability: The hypothetical case will be available on Human Rights Day, December 10th听each year.听 Please check the Competition website for any last minute change to this date.

• Clarification questions about the hypothetical case:听 Each team may submit up to three (3) clarification questions about the hypothetical case to the author, no later than the deadline set in the Competition鈥檚 calendar. The author will answer all eligible questions within two (2) weeks of receiving all the questions and the answers will be posted on the Competition's website.

  In order to submit clarification questions, teams must have fully completed the registration process, including payment of the registration fee, submission of the Dean's Authorization Form, and registration of the two student competitors.

• Team and observer registration deadline: For the 2024听Competition, the deadline for Team registration is March 12, 2024. Deadline for Observers registration is April 9, 2024.听Note: Team registration must include the names of the coach and the two student participants, the signature of the law school Dean, and registration fee payment. All registration forms will be made available on the Competition website.

• Memorial deadline: Please check the Competition calendar for this year鈥檚 deadlines. Note that substantial penalties are deducted for late Memorials filing (Official Rule 8.8.1).

• Check-in: The Competition Organizers will greet you at 17吃瓜在线 Washington College of Law on the Sunday morning before the Competition begins. Check-in will be held from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at this time you will receive your Welcome Packet and Preliminary Oral Round assignments.

• Oral Rounds: The Preliminary Oral Round begins on Monday morning and continues through Wednesday evening. Since you will receive your oral round assignments on Sunday, please be prepared to argue Monday morning. The Semi-Final Round is on Thursday and the Final Round of the Competition is on Friday morning. Please see the Official Rules and calendar for this year鈥檚 dates.

Where can I stay during the Competition?

Hotel : Chevy Chase Pavilion

• We are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with Embassy Suites, conveniently close to our campus. The rates are highly competitive, and the Embassy Suites provides a prime location and affordable accommodation. The Embassy Suites Chevy Chase Pavilion on Wisconsin Avenue in the Pavilion Mall is 1.8 miles from 17吃瓜在线. We are situated in a wonderful area of the city with many restaurants, shops, historic landmarks, and entertainment, all within walking distance.

• All accommodations are two-room suites with either a king or two full beds in the bedroom, a front sitting room with a pull-out Sofa Sleeper, and a kitchenette with a Coffee Maker, a Mini Refrigerator, and a Microwave. The Embassy Suites provides a full American-style breakfast buffet each morning and a manager鈥檚 evening reception. The hotel has plenty of available garage parking (standard rates apply) and the Redline metro is below the hotel, allowing for access to all parts of the DC area. Rooms have capabilities for three people max. If four people want to stay in the same room, approach that question directly to the Hotel. They can accept reservations up to Monday, April 29th, 2024. After this date, any unconfirmed rooms will be released back to the hotel for general sale and will no longer be available at the group rate.

• Reservations MUST be confirmed by using the 听or by calling the Hotel directly at (202) 362-9300 or toll-free at 1-888-324-2728. All reservations must be accompanied by a first-night room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. Individual reservations must be canceled not later than 72 hours prior to intended arrival in order to avoid cancellation charges.

• Rooms are available for check-in after 3:00 pm, and checkout time is 12:00 noon. If, for any reason, rooms are not available when you arrive, the hotel will gladly store your luggage. They will also store luggage for those who may require a delayed departure.

• If you want to know more about the rates, please go here.

The Embassy Suites听is directly above the Friendship Heights Metro Station, which is one Metro stop away from the Tenleytown Metro Station. The Tenleytown Metro Station is at the 17吃瓜在线

• Time: Two (2) Minutes
• Cost: $2 off-peak - $3 peak

Main Campus: 17吃瓜在线 dormitories

• 17吃瓜在线 offers preferential rates for the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court participants and judges wishing to stay: (i) The university accommodations and (ii) a partner Hotel. Regarding Housing at the University, installations are modest, but the rates are more competitive than those of local hotels. For detailed information about housing at the University, check this

• Please be advised that this year, 17吃瓜在线 Housing will only be able to provide accommodation starting on May 20. As a result, participants and judges required to attend the Opening Ceremony on May 19 won't be able to complete the check-in process and attend the opening ceremony in time, as long as they can only finish the registration for housing on Monday 20, which is the first day for oral rounds. To manage this, one option is if you plan to stay at the 17吃瓜在线 Housing accommodation, to听book an alternative place for May 19 and then transition to the designated accommodation on May 20. You can also stay at the Hotel for the whole Moot Court week.听Notwithstanding that, all participants are free to choose to book their own housing.

• This year, participants (Coaches, speakers, and observers linked to a team) will ONLY be able to stay on DUBER HALL (EAST CAMPUS). There are only 70 bedrooms available for ALL participants of the competition. They are exclusively single bedrooms, which means that only one person per room is allowed. Check-in at the East Campus is on Monday, May 20, at 10 am. Guests may check out anywhere from May 25 to May 27.

• Housing Registration will start in mid-February and will close on April 29. There is no deadline extension. Please stay tuned to our website, where the link will be available, and follow us on social media, where we will make the announcement. Registration for housing will be completed entirely online. Please note that the registration is ENTIRELY in English. If you are not a native English speaker, instructions in Spanish and Portuguese are available.

Extend Reservation

• Moot Court participants can book their housing at the University for any time between Monday, May 20 and Sunday, May 26. There are no exceptions. You cannot book your housing earlier than May 20 or extend your stay at the university beyond May 26. Those who wish to extend their stay in the 17吃瓜在线 dorms past the Competition dates must specify the exact dates of the extension in the housing application. It's important to emphasize that this option is only available for those staying at the University's housing that wish to attend the Academy鈥檚 Summer Program. For more details about housing with the Summer Program, visit here.听

• If you prefer staying in a hotel for the duration of the competition and then transitioning to the provided housing during the summer program, you have the flexibility to do so. For more information, please visit our webpage.听

• Please note: Housing at the 17吃瓜在线 residence hall is managed by a separate office and, therefore, all housing payments must be directed to them. Anyone staying at 17吃瓜在线鈥檚 residence halls will be required to pay for their accommodation with a credit card.

How do I get to the Competition from the airport?

• From Reagan National Airport (DCA), take the blue line direction downtown largo to Metro Center, and then, in Metro Center, take the red train direction shady grove 听to the Tenleytown/17吃瓜在线 station. From there, an 17吃瓜在线 shuttle bus will bring you to the main campus free of charge.

• From Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Reston, Virginia 听take the silver line direction downtown largo to Metro Center, and then, in Metro Center, take the red train direction shady grove 听to the Tenleytown/17吃瓜在线 station. From there, an 17吃瓜在线 shuttle bus will bring you to the main campus free of charge.

• From the Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) in Baltimore, Maryland take the MTA Commuter Bus 201 direction 听Glenmont to the Tenleytown/17吃瓜在线 stop.

• For more information on how to come to 17吃瓜在线, please visit this page.

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What is the best way to get around town?

• The Tenleytown/17吃瓜在线 metro station is one (1) mile from the 17吃瓜在线 dormitories. An 17吃瓜在线 shuttle runs every half hour and takes you directly from your dormitory to the metro station free of charge. Metro charges vary depending on your destination, but are approximately $2.00 one way.听A taxi/uber听to downtown Washington, D.C. costs approximately $20 one way. Renting a car is not recommended, as parking is very difficult at the 17吃瓜在线 and downtown Washington, D.C.

How is the Competition scored?

• Memorials: Memorials are scored on a scale of 1-100 points and each memorial is evaluated by at least three (3) judges. The judges鈥� scores are averaged to determine the final score of the memorial. Administrative penalties accrue if the memorial arrives late and/or is formatted incorrectly, whereby points shall be deducted after the average memorial score is determined.

• Oral Rounds: Each Oral Round is scored by a panel of three or more judges. Each individual team member is graded on a scale of 1-100 points. The judges鈥� scores for each individual are averaged, and the teammates鈥� individual final scores are then added together to determine the team鈥檚 overall score for that session.

• For more information regarding the exact weight given to the memorials and the oral round scores in determining who advances to the Semi-Final and Final Rounds, please see the Official Rules.

• Please be aware, due to changes on the Competition rules during 2023, oral rounds and memorial scores are no longer averaged. Please refer to the Official Rules website.

Who are the judges on the Final Round Honor Panel?

• Judges on the Final Round Honor Panel include key figures in the Inter-American legal system, representatives of State鈥檚 governments, and civil society activists.

• Past judges have included former Heads of State, a United States Supreme Court Justice, Presidents of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Presidents of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Can judges from my own university or country judge my team?

• The Competition tries to avoid conflicts of interests whenever possible. Judges are not allowed to judge teams from the universities they attended. However, judges are allowed to grade teams from their home country.听 While the Competition Organizers make every attempt to avoid scheduling judges to grade a team more than once during the entire Competition, it is not a violation of the Rules for a judge to grade a team more than once during the Oral Rounds.

• Judges are trained on the Official Rules of the Competition beforehand and score competitors without bias. In addition, teams remain anonymous to the judges during the entire Competition, including the Final Round. Team names are not allowed on the written memorials, and students are not allowed to mention their team name during their oral argument presentations.

How can I fund or pay for my participation in the Competition?

• We recommend that you start to look for funds early. Unfortunately, the Academy cannot provide funding for travel or housing expenses.

• Typically, every year the Academy offers two reduction scholarships fees of 50%. The criteria, followed by the Technical Committee to adjudicate this fee reduction, are based on under-represented countries in the Competitions, if Universities are public or private, financial constraints of 听the University is facing, and critical and political constraints that the countries are facing that could preclude the participants from involvement. Please, if your team is in any of these situations, contact the Technical Committee as soon as the registration period opens. In finalizing early application, we will tend to have a favorable response than those filed at the very last minute.

• In the past, teams from some countries have received funding from the United States Agency for International Development. Contact the American Embassy in your country to find out about various funding opportunities.

• Also, many students have received funding from a variety of sources, including: local businesses, foundations, bar associations and the Inter-American Development Bank, among others. Please contact the Academy if you would like documentation and/or promotional materials describing the Competition that may assist you in obtaining funding.

• Many universities support their students鈥� participation in this Competition and pay for their travel and accommodations.

• Contact former team participants from your country or institution to find out more information about funding. For names and email addresses of former competitors, contact the Competition Organizers.

How long are the oral arguments?

• Each team is allocated a total of 45 minutes (including rebuttal time) for their oral argument. This time should be divided among the two competitors as evenly as possible (for example:听23 and 22 minutes, but not 35 and 10). Typically, each competitor will argue for 20 minutes and then one team member will rebut for 5 minutes. Interpreted rounds are allowed an additional 5 minutes per team. See the Official Rules for more information.

How long should the Memorial be?

• The Memorial has six (6) sections, as listed in the Official Rules. The Memorial shall not exceed twelve thousand (12.000) words in total. All words and pages in the document will be counted including the Title Page, Table of Contents, Index of Authorities and footnotes. Further format requirements are available in the Official Rules.

What happens if one teammate cannot participate in the Competition?

• Generally, no alternates are allowed to participate in the Competition. The students who wrote the Memorial must be the same two students who argue in the oral rounds. In case of an emergency, however, substitutes may be allowed. If an emergency arises, contact the Competition Organizers as soon as possible and they will determine the situation on a case by case basis.

When will teams find out whom they are arguing against?

• You will be notified who will be the opponent or challenger during the Preliminary Oral Round when you arrive at the Competition. Final schedules are not posted until Sunday (check-in day) which is the day before the Competition begins. We will not disclose the name of the university you are competing against.

When will teams be able to see their competitors'听Memorial?

• The Memorials of opposing Teams may be exchanged prior to each Oral Round. The Technical Committee will make all efforts to maximize the time each side will have to review the opposing Team鈥檚 Memorial. The Technical Committee will make copies of the Memorials available online one (1) week prior to the Competition. Opponents鈥� Memorials will be provided in the language in which they were submitted. Memorials will not be translated. The Competition Organizers听will make an effort to give out printed copies of opponents鈥� Memorials during check-in. However, this is not guaranteed. Failure to receive opponents'听Memorial is not grounds for postponing an Oral Argument Session.

What events should I plan to attend during the Competition?

• Check-in and Opening Ceremony, Sunday: Team attendance is mandatory. Please note that this is a change from previous years' Competitions. Competition Organizers will greet you at the 17吃瓜在线 Washington College of Law. This is when you will receive your Welcome Packet and your opponents鈥� Memorials. The Opening Ceremony is a good time to meet Academy Co-Directors Claudia Martin and Diego Rodr铆guez-Pinz贸n, as well as the other participants in the Competition. After the Opening Ceremony, a group picture of all the participants will be taken.

• Preliminary Oral Rounds, Monday through Wednesday: During the first three days of the Competition, all teams argue at least twice during the Preliminary Round. The best individual oral presentation in each language is determined by the Preliminary Oral Round scores.

• Visits to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter 鈥淐ommission鈥�), Tuesday through Thursday:听 The Competition organizes visits to the Commission in each of the three official languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). During the visit, participants will speak to Commission attorneys, who will discuss the daily operations of the Commission, and will tour the Commission Building.

• Semi-Final Round, Thursday: The top 20% percent of teams representing the VICTIM/COMMISSION/PETITIONER听and the top 20% percent of teams representing the STATE advance to the Semi-Final Round. The semi-final teams are announced Wednesday evening, at which time teams may receive their opponent鈥檚 Memorial for review. After the Semi-Final Round, the top VICTIM/COMMISSION/PETITIONER team and the top STATE team advance to the Final Round.

• Coaches鈥� Training Workshop: This discussion is for Competition coaches only. The coaches will discuss important issues specific to preparing future students to participate in the Competition.听In addition, the discussion will address issues that educators face today as they try to broaden their human rights curriculum.

• Special Panel Discussion for Competition Participants:听Join us for a discussion about different ways that educators and practitioners use international law to address important issues such as development, human rights, humanitarian law and the environment.

• Academy鈥檚 Reception, Thursday: The Academy's Reception is an opportunity for all Competition participants to meet and network.听We will also announce the two teams that have advanced to the Final Round. All participants are invited. Business attire is required.

• Fiesta, Thursday (optional): Each year the Competition Organizers arrange an informal 鈥渇iesta鈥� for the participants. This party is usually held at a local nightclub in the heart of Washington, D.C.

• Final Round, Friday: The top VICTIM/COMMISSION/PETITIONER team and the top STATE team in the Semi-Final Round advance to the Final Round. The Final Round Honor Panel of Judges is a group of distinguished attorneys from both the diplomatic and civil society spheres of human rights practitioners.听Finalists are given more time to argue their case during the Final Round than during the Preliminary and Semi-Final Rounds.

• Awards Luncheon, Friday. During the luncheon, the overall winners are announced and each participant receives a certificate of participation. This is a catered lunch, and all participants are invited to attend.

What else can I do during my stay in Washington, DC?

• Participants are invited to visit the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. All team participants, observers, and judges are also invited to attend the various events of the Competition, including the Academy鈥檚 Reception, the Fiesta Party and the Awards Luncheon.

• The Competition Organizers will provide you with some basic information about museums, various sites, and transportation.

It is encouraged that you always travel in a group, as safety is always a concern no matter where you travel around the World, and the D.C. area is no exception.