College of Law

Toledo Law Competes at China IP Moot Court Competition

by Diana Case | June 24, 2019

Toledo Law students competed at the Beijing Foreign Studies University-Wanhuida Cup Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition held in Beijing on May 25-26, 2019. This year, the competition hosted twelve teams from China, and Toledo Law was the only team from the United States. 

The competition problem was based on a case involving Chinese patent infringement, with briefs and oral arguments in English. The student team of Jing Bao 2L, Emilie Easton 2L, Chuck Hatch 3L, and Yue Zeng 2L earned an honorable mention overall.

"The competition pushed the team out of our comfort zone within the courtroom," said Hatch. "It also expanded our cultural horizons and allowed us to develop international friendships."

Anthony Gonzalez, a third-year law student, coached and prepared the team in appellate advocacy. Professor Llewellyn Gibbons, Distinguished University Professor and intellectual property expert, served as faculty advisor to the students. Gibbons helped students navigate intellectual property issues in the competition problem. Both traveled with the team members to Beijing.

"I learned to be more malleable, learned about the complexities of Chinese culture, and came out of the experience with an unexpected group of friends," said Easton. Bao described the competition as "a challenging and practical event where we were able to learn about Chinese patent law and its counterpart in other countries."

The BFSU-Wanhuida Cup competition, now in its twelfth year, is organized by the BFSU School of Law. The competition is one of only two English-language, international moot court competitions involving intellectual property law.

"I am proud of the College of Law team for their hard work and professionalism throughout the competition," said Gibbons, who also served as a judge at this year's competition. "The legal profession and the practice of law increasingly require knowledge of other countries, their legal systems, and the ability to research non-U.S. law. The competition is an excellent opportunity for students to gain these vital skills, as well as to develop the cultural competencies to work with non-U.S. common law trained lawyers."

Previous Toledo Law competitors advised the students, and the Toledo Bar Association offered support with judging practice rounds. Student travel was made possible with generous funding from the UToledo Center for International Studies and Programs, the UToledo Graduate Student Association, and the Toledo Law Student Bar Association. The Toledo Law Dean’s Office provided additional funding for student visas.