PILS Internal Moot: A First-Year Experience

A new environment, new colleagues, and a new field of knowledge. What was it like for a first-year law student? From the moment I heard about PILS, getting accepted as an intern, going through the internship, and ultimately, participating in the internal moot, was one exhilarating and unforgettable experience a first-year can never forget.

Prior to my enrollment as a law student at UNPAR, word about PILS had already been running around. I was captivated by the fact that PILS facilitates students to participate in international moot competitions. Initially, I was daunted by the scope of law studied in PILS as international law seemed exceedingly unfamiliar and far too broad for a first-year law student. However, I eventually realized that my discomfort stemmed from my lack of exposure to even the fundamental aspects of international law.

As a law student who aspires to become a lawyer in the future, I figured that PILS could offer a bridge for me to enhance my oral advocacy skills. As soon as PILS opened its recruitment for its Internship Program, I decided that I was not going to let my doubts impede me from achieving my full potential.  

After writing a legal essay and going through an interview, I was fortunate enough to get accepted as a PILS intern. The internship program itself was divided into two sections: a few months on a Vis internship, followed by an additional few months on a Jessup internship. During each section, the interns were taught the basics of arbitration and the basics of international law. We were then given a moot problem and each of us was assigned to research a particular topic.

As a first-year with little to no knowledge of law, let alone international law, the internship program left me feeling lost. Although the basics were taught in the beginning, it was truly a  challenge to comprehend various legal terms, particularly, in my experience, those related to arbitration. Uncertain of how to begin my research, I started to lack motivation to write my Legal Research Paper and Mini Memorial assigned. However, with the assistance of mentors and fellow interns, I was able to overcome my doubts and concentrate on achieving the goals I had established for myself upon joining the program.

After several months of studying the basics of arbitration and public international law, the final stage of the internship program finally came. It was time for the internal moot. All interns were divided into two teams, with each member individually assigned to a single submission. In preparation for the internal moot, I was required to apply all of the knowledge I had acquired over the past eight months and present it within a single argument. Little by little, all those practices on research, writing LRPs, and Mini Memorial were starting to make a lot more sense. By this time, my motivation had returned, bolstered by the knowledge that I realized I had gained.

A few weeks passed by, and it was finally time for the internal moot. Anxiety started to kick in and I was suddenly consumed by self-doubt. My mind was clouded with thoughts of how much of an embarrassment I would be during the internal moot. At some point, backing out from the internship felt like the best option to go. Be that as it may, I managed to refocus on my goals once again and reminded myself that I did not endure months of internship, only to fail on the big day.

It was truly a terrifying experience to participate in an internal moot as a first-year in a completely new environment and a new field of knowledge, yet it was one ride that I found extremely worthwhile. The skills and knowledge gained during the internship have proven beneficial in my legal studies and improved my confidence in public speaking. Now, imagine the skills and knowledge a student can acquire in more than just a few months, from preparing for real moot competitions and not merely internal ones. Thankfully, I was lucky enough to pass the internship and proceed to compete in an international moot competition.

Only at the end of the internship period was I able to realize that we must let go of our doubts to acquire new skills and knowledge. I learned that, despite the uncertainty of how things will come out in the end, the only way to be certain is by challenging ourselves to just keep going. It is never an easy ride to commence something new, but whether the result goes how we want it to go, it is always worthwhile to have the opportunity to gain new experiences and share them with others.