Participation Conditions

Vieira de Almeida & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados SP RL (“VdA”) and VdA Academia, acting as joint controllers, will process the data collected to the extent necessary for the execution of the agreement entered into with the participant when accepting the AI Moot Court Rules.
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These data will be processed for the purposes of managing and organising the AI Moot Court, sending out relevant information, and issuing the final participation certificates. Additionally, based on the legitimate interests of VdA and VdA Academia, certain data may be processed for the purposes of (i) managing requests for information, and (ii) organising the in-person event. If you consent, the joint controllers may also collect and process your image and/or your voice, to publicise the Competition to the general public, through internet, institutional intranet, and media. In parallel, for its own purposes, as an independent data controller pursuing its legitimate interest, VdA will process the data provided for recruitment purposes.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

Under the terms of the applicable legislation, you may request access to or the rectification, deletion or portability of your personal data, or even limitation of or opposition to processing, by sending an e-mail to privacy@vda.pt. You can also lodge a complaint with the Portuguese Data Protection Authority (Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados) or withdraw the consent provided, at any time, although this will not affect the processing carried out up to that date.

For more information on how we process your data, please see our Privacy Policy_.
For more information on the Moot Court, please see the Moot Court Rules_.
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This Privacy Policy describes the processing of personal data in the context of the AI Moot Court competition (“Moot Court” or “Competition”), as described in the MootCourt Rules (“Rules”). The Competition will take place online, through a dedicated platform (“Platform”), and in person.

Vieira de Almeida & Associados – Sociedade de Advogados SP RL, legal person number 503 794 619, with registered office at Rua Dom Luís I, 28, Lisbon (“VdA”) and VdA Academia, legal person number 509 841 325, also with registered office at Rua Dom Luís I, 28, Lisbonare the joint data controllers for the personal data processing operations in connection with participation in the Moot Court, under the terms and for the purposes set forth in the applicable personal data protection legislation.

The data subject (hereinafter the “Participant” or “Participants”) is informed about how VdA and VdA Academia will process and protect their personal data in the context of their participation in the Moot Court, namely by completing the application and registration forms.

VdA and VdA Academia respect the Participants’ privacy by taking the necessary measures to protect their personal data. Participants should read this Privacy Policy carefully and freely decide whether to participate in the Moot Court.
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Participants must ensure that the data provided are true, accurate, complete, and up-to-date. Participants are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. Where the reported data belong to a third party, the Participants warrant that they have informed the relevant third party of the conditions laid down in this Privacy Policy and that they have obtained authorisation to provide such data to VdA and VdA Academia for the purposes indicated.

For more information see the Moot Court Rules_.
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Participation in the Moot Court requires the submission of an application done at the Moot Court Website (www.vdaaimootcourt.com), using the form available (“Team Registration Form”). In the Team Registration Form, the following data will be collected: identification data (first and last name), contact data (e-mail address and telephone number), date of birth, nationality, city, university and year of study.

For each Team, the Team Leader will complete the Form for all Team members, providing the above mentioned data. In this regard, the Team Leader’s role is solely to facilitate the application process which does not grant the Team Leader any authority over the personal data of the other Team members.
If the required data elements are not provided, the Team's application will not be accepted.

Following application, each Team member will receive a link to complete their registration on the Platform, by confirming their identification (first and last name) and contact data (e-mail address and telephone number) and setting a password. Each Team member will then be able to review this Privacy Policy, provide consent for data processing activities on this lawful basis, and review and accept the Rules.

VdA and VdA Academia, acting as joint data controllers, will collect and process the Participants’ data, including identification data, contact data, date of birth, nationality, city, university and year of study, as well as participation-related data, to the extent that such data are necessary for the execution of the contractual relationship established after acceptance of the Rules. The data will be processed for the following purposes:

Managing and organising the Competition and the participation of each team;
Creating and managing the Participants’ accounts on the Platform;
Sending relevant information regarding participation in the Moot Court; and
Issuing the participation certificates.

Additionally, certain data, such as identification data and contact data, maybe processed based on the legitimate interests of VdA and VdA Academia:

when responding to your contact requests, complaints, doubts or suggestions in the context of your participation in the Moot Court;
when collecting and publishing your feedbackabout the Competition; and
when organising the in-person event, to ensure the safety of people and property at VdA and VdA Academia’s physical premises.

Lastly, based on your consent, VdA and VdA Academia may process your image and/or your voice, collected at the in-person event or in any other circumstance relating to the Competition, to publicise the Competition, both internally and externally, to the general public, through the internet (particularly via their websites or social media pages), intranet and media.

In parallel, for its own purposes as an independent data controller, VdA will process data for the purposes of submitting applications and handling future recruitment processes, based on its legitimate interest.

Any personal data collected will be processed strictly in accordance with the applicable law. Personal data will be stored in accordance with its purpose and for the applicable legal deadlines. Whenever there is no specific legal requirement, the data will be stored and kept only for the period and to the extent necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, unless the right to object, the right to erasure or the right to withdraw consent is exercised within the applicable legal deadlines.

In particular:

Data related to the performance of the contractual relationship will be kept for the time strictly necessary and for as long as the contract between the Participants and VdA and VdA Academia exists;
Data collected for contact purposes will be kept for the time strictly necessary to reply to Participants’ requests, complaints, doubts or suggestions;
Data related to the security of people and property at VdA and VdA Academia’s physical premises shall be kept for 30 days; and
Data related to the submission of applications and recruitment shall be kept for one year.

Personal data may be retained for a longer period when required by law and/or to defend rights and interests in judicial or administrative proceedings.

VdA and VdA Academia may disclose your personal data:

when relying on other entities for the provision of certain services, which may necessarily entail access to such data. Any of VdA and VdA Academia’s subcontracted entities will process your personal data, in the name and on behalf of VdA and VdA Academia, in accordance with our instructions and the relevant data processing agreement;
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to third-party entities, where VdA and VdA Academia deem such disclosure required or adequate:
(i) under the applicable law,
(ii) to ensure compliance with legal obligations/judicial orders,
(iii) in line with decisions of the relevant supervisory authorities, or
(iv) to respond to requests issued by public or governmental authorities.

In any of these situations, VdA and VdA Academia will take all appropriate measures to ensure the effective protection of your personal data.

VdA and VdA Academia will endeavour to protect Participants’ personal data from unauthorised access. They rely on their security systems, rules, and other procedures to ensure this protection and to prevent any unauthorised access to, improper use of, disclosure, loss or destruction of your personal data.

In the context of the Platform and the Application Form, Participants should further be aware that failure to adopt adequate security measures (for example, secure browser configuration, updated antivirus software, firewall use, and the non-use of questionable software) will increase the risk of personal data and passwords being accessed by unauthorised third parties.

VdA and VdA Academia will not transfer personal data to any third countries (located outside the European Union or the European Economic Area) or to international organisations for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.
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Under the applicable legislation, Participants may request access to their personal data at any time, as well as its rectification, erasure, portability, and the restriction of or objection to its processing.

Participants may obtain confirmation as to what personal data concerning them is being processed, and a copy of the data being processed will be provided upon request. In addition, Participants can withdraw the consent they have provided at any time, although this will not affect the processing carried out up to that date.

To exercise any of these rights, Participants will need to submit a written request addressed to:

E-mail: privacy@vda.pt
Address: Rua Dom Luís I, 28, 1200-151 Lisboa, Portugal

Without prejudice to any other form of administrative or judicial appeal, Participants are entitled to file a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority (in this case, the Portuguese Data Protection Authority – Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados), in accordance with the law, should they believe that VdA and VdA Academia’s processing of their personal data breaches the legal framework in force from time to time.

Participants can contact VdA and VdA Academia with any queries regarding the processing of their personal data and the exercise of their rights under the applicable legislation, as detailed in this Privacy Policy, using the following contacts:

Telephone: (+351) 21 311 3400
E-mail: privacy@vda.pt
Address: Rua Dom Luís I, 28, 1200-151 Lisboa, Portugal

VdA and VdA Academia reserve the right to, at any time, change the current personal data processing terms. Any changes will be communicated to the Participants via the contacts provided by them.

The AI Moot Court (hereinafter referred to as “Moot Court” or “Competition”) is a moot court event involving teams of students from the Faculties of Law and Political Sciences of various universities in Portugal. This event is aimed at deepening their legal knowledge while providing a unique experience in both written and oral legal practice with the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on a learning platform (the “AI Platform”).
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The Competition consists of 2 (two) or 3 (three) phases, depending on the number of participants:

a. A written stage, in which all teams submit written memoranda for both the applicant and the defendant based on a hypothetical legal case (the “First Phase”);

b. Depending on the number of participants, an oral stage, in which the qualified teams make oral pleadings online before a jury composed of 2 (two) members, established in accordance with these Rules (the “Second Phase”); and

c. A final oral stage consisting of knock-out rounds in which the qualified teams make oral pleadings in person before a Jury composed of 3 (three) members, established in accordance with these Rules (the “Final Phase”).
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The Moot Court is an educational event consisting of a simulation of court proceedings involving a hypothetical case, where participating students prepare and present legal arguments as if they were in a real court setting. The goal of the Competition is for students to develop legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills, as well as introduce students to Generative Artificial Intelligence tools in a legal context.
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The rules and procedures of the Moot Court should be interpreted in the light of the Competition’s object and purpose.
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The rules of the Moot Court are subject to annual review by the Organisers. Participants are expected to consult the Rules in force at the time of each Competition.
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The relevant Competition documents will be made available on www.vdaaimootcourt.com (the “AI Moot Court Website”).

The Moot Court is organised by a committee composed of representatives of VdA, VdA Academia and Miles in the Sky (hereinafter referred to as the “Organisers”).
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The Organisers are responsible for resolving all administrative issues, as well as providing all the information and resources necessary for the smooth running of the Competition.
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The Organisers have the right to interpret and further develop the existing Rules, as well as to issue additional rules and updates, which will be applicable immediately.
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Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Universidade de Lisboa and Universidade Nova de Lisboa are the sponsors of the Competition.

The Competition will be entirely conducted in English (both the written memoranda and oral pleadings).
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The Organisers will announce a binding Competition timeline in accordance with these Rules. This timeline will be published on the AI Moot Court Website and will include the relevant dates of each phase of the Competition.
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The Moot Court will be conducted in a hybrid format, according to the structure of the phases of the Competition.

The Competition is open to students enrolled in the Faculties of Law and Political Sciences of various universities in Portugal. Each team can include up to 2 (two) students enrolled in other faculties of universities in Portugal. Participating students must be (as at the time of the Moot Court) attending at least the second year of a bachelor’s degree (licenciatura) or undertaking a master’s degree (mestrado).
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Subject to Article 5 (1), the teams will consist of 4 (four) to 6 (six) members, divided into two sub-teams (one representing the applicant and one representing the defendant). The choice of the sub-teams only needs to be communicated prior to the oral stages.
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In order to participate in the Moot Court, applicant teams must register by completing and submitting the form available on the AI Moot Court Website within the deadline set out therein. Confirmation of the application will be acknowledged via e-mail to each member of the team, with a link to register on the AI Platform.
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Each team can register up to 2 (two) coaches.
The Organisers reserve the right to refuse or cancel the application and the registration of any team at their discretion, under the terms of these Rules.
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Changes to a team’s composition are not allowed after registration and may result in disqualification. However, the Organisers may permit such changes under exceptional circumstances upon a detailed request.
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Any communications between the teams and the Organisers before the start of the Competition must follow the process defined on the AI Moot Court Website. After the start of the Competition, communications between the team and the Organisers must be done via the AI Platform’s communication channels.
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The Competition has a maximum entry limit of 100 (one hundred) teams. The Organisers may, however, at their discretion, allow for the registration of more teams.
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If the number of entries exceeds the limit established in the preceding paragraph, the teams shall be selected by order of their registration, with due regard to the representation of the participating universities.
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The Moot Court involves the preparation of a written memorandum for the applicant and a written memorandum for the defendant, followed by oral pleadings. Teams participating in all stages for which they have qualified will receive a certificate of participation. For the avoidance of doubt, teams that do not fully attend any stage for which they have qualified will not receive a certificate of participation.
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The Organisers reserve the right to cancel the Competition at their discretion.

Strict team anonymity is mandatory. Each team will be assigned an ID number for the Competition, which will be communicated after their application on the AI Moot Court Website.
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The name of the university to which the team members belong must not be disclosed, either directly or indirectly, in the written submissions or during the oral pleadings before the panel of judges.
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For breaches of anonymity occurring before or during the oral stage, the Organisers will impose penalties ranging from the deduction of points from the team’s overall score to disqualification, depending on the circumstances.

Each edition of the Competition will be launched with the publication of the Case on the AI Moot Court Website, in accordance with the specified timeline. The same Case will be used through out the entire edition of the Competition.
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Requests for clarification on the Case (up to 5 (five) questions per team), these Rules, or the structure of the Moot Court may be submitted as defined on the AI Moot Court Website prior to the date mentioned therein.
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The Organisers’ replies to the teams’ requests for clarification will also be available on the AI Moot Court Website.

Plagiarism is forbidden. The Organisers reserve the right to disqualify any team on the grounds of alleged plagiarism.
The teams are expected to carry out all necessary research, draft the memoranda, prepare and conduct the oral pleadings, and use the Generative AI tools made available. External assistance, including from faculty members, should be limited to general discussion of the Case, suggestions on research resources, and public presentation training.
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All members of the participating teams are expected to participate in the First Phase.
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The teams that have received the highest scores in the First Phase will progress to the Second Phase. The number of teams qualifying for the Second Phase will depend on the number of teams participating in the Moot Court and will be disclosed on the Platform.
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The teams qualifying for the Second Phase must select 2 (two) members to represent the applicant and 2 (two) other members to represent the defendant in the oral pleadings, during both the Second Phase and Third Phase. The remaining team members, if any, will not be able to participate in the Second Phase or Third Phase. During the Second Phase, each team will compete in 2 (two) rounds against different teams.
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The 16 (sixteen) teams that have received the highest score in the Second Phase, if this number is reached, or alternatively in the First Phase, will progress to the Final Phase. The Final Phase consists of 4 (four) elimination rounds: eight-finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final.
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The Second Phase will be conducted fully online over the course of 2 (two) days. The Final Phase will be held in person, at a venue to be announced by the Organisers, also over the course of 2 (two) days. The Organisers reserve the right to extend the Second Phase if necessary.
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Any draws between the Teams are to be determined by the Organisers at their discretion.

Each team is required to submit 2 (two) written memoranda: one representing the applicant and one representing the defendant. Each document should be in Word format and named as follows: Team [XX] – Applicant [OR Defendant].
Each of the written memoranda, drafted in English, must include the following sections:

a. Cover page, stating [Team [XX] – Applicant [OR Defendant] – Case name and number];

b. Table of contents;

c. A summary of the main arguments, not exceeding 2 (two) pages;

d. The main argumentation section is restricted to a maximum of 15 (fifteen) numbered pages per memorandum. This limit does not include (i) the table of contents, (ii) the summary, and (iii) the list of references;

e. List of references (books, law reviews, judgments, AI legal tools, etc.): the teams must ensure that their citation system allows for the clear and unambiguous identification of all referenced documents, including AI tools, and that this system is used consistently throughout both memoranda;

f. All text must be in clearly spaced using 1.5 spacing, 2.5 cm right and left margins, and 3 cm top and bottom margins, in Calibri 11 pt font size and 10 pt font size for footnote references.
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The teams must submit their written memoranda to the Organisers, via the AI Platform, by the submission deadline.
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Once the deadline has passed, no team may revise, replace, add to,delete, or otherwise modify and resubmit its written memoranda.

In each round, the order of presentations will be as follows:

a. Opening statements by the 2 (two) team members representing the applicant;

b. Opening statements by the 2 (two) team members representing the defendant;
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c. Rebuttal by 1 (one) or 2 (two) team members representing the applicant, limited to addressing any points made in the defendant’s opening statements;
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d. Sur-rebuttal by 1 (one) or 2 (two) team members representing the defendant, limited to addressing any points made in the applicant’s rebuttal.
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Arguments may contain doctrinal and jurisprudential references, without prejudice to the teams’ argumentative originality being valued.
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No changes may be made to the facts of the case, nor can new facts be asserted. Only the presumption or possibility of the occurrence of certain facts, according to logical criteria drawn from the facts of the case, is permitted.
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No oral or written communication may take place between a team participating in the session and any coaches, assistants, or other members of the public.
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The judges may question the speakers at any time during their presentations.

Each team has a total time of 23 (twenty-three) minutes per round for their oral pleadings, including the time reserved for a rebuttal or sur-rebuttal (as applicable) as well as the time required to answer any questions that may be asked by the judges.
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The division of time between presentations should be agreed between the teams and announced to the judges at the start of the first presentation, with a maximum of 3 (three) minutes reserved for rebuttal and a minimum of 3 (three) minutes reserved for sur-rebuttal. Should the teams fail to reach an agreement, the judges will decide on the distribution of time with due regard to the principle of equal treatment of both teams and the maximum time allowed for rebuttal and sur-rebuttal.
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Without prejudice to the provisions of the previous paragraph, no team member should speak for more than 15 (fifteen) minutes in each session.
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The judges may grant a maximum time tolerance of 5 (five) minutes per team in each session.

Both the written memoranda and the oral pleadings will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The written memoranda will be evaluated with the assistance of AI tools.
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The panel of judges will consist of 2 (two) members in the Second Phase, and of 3 (three) members in the Final Phase. The Organisers reserve the right to have panels of 2 (two) judges in the Final Phase, during the first rounds (eighth-finals and quarter-finals).
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The selection of the judges will be determined by the Organisers.
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The panel of judges presiding over the final, to be selected by the Organisers, will be composed of a professor from one of the participating universities, a lawyer from VdA, and a representative of Miles in the Sky.
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Each judge must maintain impartiality regarding the conduct and outcome of the Competition. Any affiliation that could be perceived, in the eyes of a reasonable observer, as a lack of impartiality is considered a “Conflict of Interest”. Such affiliations include personal or professional relationships between the judges and any university, coach, or team member participating in the Competition.
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A Conflict of Interest does not arise in the following situations:

a. A judge knows a coach due to professional or personal affiliations, or any other reasons;

b. A judge is an alumnus of one of the universities participating in the oral stage;

c. A judge is an employee of one of the universities participating in the oral stage, provided that such employment is sufficiently remote from the team’s activities to eliminate any reasonable suspicion of partiality.

The judges will evaluate the teams according to the official grids provided by the Organisers.
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The judges will anonymously score the written memoranda, with a maximum of 100 (one hundred) points per team, based on:

a. Knowledge of the facts and the law (maximum of 20 (twenty) points);

b. Quality of analysis and extent and quality of the use of sources (maximum of 20 (twenty) points);

c. Clarity and structure (maximum of 20 (twenty) points);

d. Correctness of vocabulary, grammar, style (including formatting and regulatory limits), and citations and references (maximum of 20 (twenty) points); and

e. Use of the AI Platform (maximum of 20 (twenty) points).
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The judges will score the oral pleadings, with a maximum of 100 (one hundred) points per team, based on:

a. Knowledge of the facts and the law (maximum of 40 (forty) points);

b. Organisation and time management (maximum of 40 (forty) points);

c. Use of the AI Platform (maximum of 20 (twenty) points).
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The judges will impose the following penalties for any infractions of the Rules pertaining to the written memoranda:

a. Exceeding the 15-page limit for the arguments section (excluding the summary) will incur the following penalties:
ii. Exceeding by one page – 2 (two) points deducted
iii. Exceeding by two pages – 4 (four) points deducted
iv. Exceeding by three pages – disqualification

b. The disclosure of identities by mentioning the names of team members or the university anywhere in the written memoranda will result in a 10 (ten) points deduction.
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c. Failure to comply with other formal requirements, such as font size, line spacing, etc., will result in a 2 (two) points deduction.
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Non-compliance with any of the provisions of these Rules or of the general instructions announced by the Organisers may result in the application of any penalties deemed appropriate by the Organisers, including disqualification from the Competition.
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When announcing the winners and the teams’ progress in each phase, the Organisers will publish the scoring criteria on the AI Moot Court Website.

The winning team of the Competition is that whose sub-team achieves the best score in the final.
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The Best Speaker award will be given to the team member who receives the best evaluation from the jury convened to assess the participants’ oratory skills.
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The Best Written Memoranda Team will be awarded to the team that receives the highest average score for their written memoranda.
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The Best Speaker will be awarded an internship at VdA.
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The Best Written Memoranda will be published on the AI Moot Court Website and the team members will be awarded a summer internship at VdA.
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These awards will be announced at the closing ceremony of the Moot Court.
The Winning Team of the Competition will receive a monetary prize in the amount of 8.000 €.
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The Moot Court is an educational event and the personal data necessary for the holding of this event will be collected in accordance with the privacy policy available on the AI Moot Court Website.

All problems and materials created as part of the Moot Court are copyrighted, and any re-use requires permission of the Moot Court Organisers. Permission for educational use will not be unreasonably withheld. Authorship must always be attributed. Commercial use is prohibited.

In addition to the obligations set out in these Rules and any other obligations communicated through other means, each Participant must strictly comply with the safety rules and regulations for space and equipment use at VdA and VdA Academia’s physical premises during in-person activities.
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Without prejudice to the obligations referred to in the previous clause, each Participant is expressly prohibited from taking photographs or recording within VdA and VdA Academia’s physical premises, including any spaces, equipment, documents, or individuals.
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Each Participant undertakes to maintain the confidentiality regarding any information they become aware of due to their presence at VdA and VdA Academia’s physical premises, including information of a commercial, operational, or other nature. This obligation begins immediately upon acquiring the information and continues even after the Competition ends.
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The winning team of the Competition agrees to give an interview and/or provide a testimonial about their experience and participation in the Competition.

PDF Version: AI.Moot Court Participation Conditions

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