The Monroe E. Price International Moot Court team will compete in the Worlds Round in June 2022.
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Monroe E. Price International Moot Court team is one of four teams that will compete in the World Rounds, held in June. Previously, the team reached the finals in the Americas round and placed as runners-up, with Apratim Vidyarthi L’22 being named runner-up as Best Oralist. Other members of the team include co-presidents Nikki Bourassa L’23 and Nithya Pathalam L’23 as well as Ankitha Mandava L’23, Chloe Nurik L’23, and Adam deLisle L’24.
Apratim Vidyarthi L’22, Nikki Bourassa L’23, and Nithya Pathalam L’23This year’s competition, which is entirely virtual, focuses on election interference on social media; the underlying question is whether social media companies who remove actors who incite violence or spread misinformation violating human rights pertaining to free expression and free elections.
Ankitha Mandava L’23, Chloe Nurik L’23, and Adam deLisle L’24“Overall, this was a really interesting experience because international law around free speech is very different from First Amendment law,” said Vidyarthi. “Seeing the divergent theories of free expression and the less rigid structures of international law as compared to American law was really interesting. But international law also provides guidance for how to deal with speech that could be considered harmful, which American First Amendment law is very protective of. Beyond substance, it was also incredibly enlightening to see the different formalities used in oral arguments in international law, and hard to adapt to.”
The team would like to extend their appreciation to faculty advisor Jacques deLisle, Stephen A. Cozen Professor of Law and Professor of Political Science, and Amanda Shanor, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics at the Wharton School, whose “experience in litigation was invaluable,” according to Vidyarthi.
