Over the past, it has turned out that there are frequently asked questions as to the Vienna part of the Moot Competition. This page is designed to provide you with some answers. You may also want to turn to the FAQ page of the Pace Moot Website, referring to Administration, Memoranda and Oral Arguments.

The Competition


1. How about dress codes?
2. How to get to the Juridicum?
3. Is there a meeting place in the Juridicum where teams can gather throughout the day?
4. Are there any preparation rooms for the teams at the Juridicum?
5. Is there any place where teams can print (speeches etc) at the University?
6. Do the teams have to provide extra copies of their memoranda?
7. When do the teams find out whether they have made the finals?
   
   
Vienna


8. How to get around in Vienna?
9. How is the weather in vienna around Easter?
10. What to see in Vienna?
11. What and where is the Bermuda-Dreieck?
12. What is the "Ma Pitom"?
13. What is the Austrian cuisine like?
14. Are there any restaurants that should not be missed?
15. Are there internet cafes in Vienna?

The Competition



1. How about dress codes?
   
   
• MAA Welcoming Party (Thursday night): As you like (most will like "informal"), just come and play! Same goes for the other parties and the Ma Pitom.
• Official Opening Reception (Friday night): There is no official dress code; however, people tend to come in formal attire, combinations are fine.
• Oral Hearings (Saturday to Wednesday): Formal attire, preferably suits. The question has been raised whether checked shirts and bright yellow ties are okay... Well, it all depends (on who is arbitrating and on how checked and bright they really are). It's all a question of personal taste, just wear what you would wear if you were in a real world arbitration...
• Awards Banquet (Thursday): Formal. No tuxedos or evening dresses required.


2. How to get to the Juridicum?
   
   
The Juridicum is located at the Schottenbastei 10-16. Please take U2 to "Schottentor" (you might also take Trams 1, 2 or D to "Schottentor", or you might take the bus, e.g. lines 1A and 3A arrive in the vicinity of the Juridicum) (cf. street map).


3. Is there a meeting place in the Juridicum where teams can gather throughout the day?
   
   
Oh yes! The 7th Floor of the Juridicum (the Dachgeschoss, German for 'top floor') is the place to be!!! This is where the Official Moot Information Desk and the MAA Information Desk are located, where you register for events, drink coffee (coffee, tea and water will be provided for all participants throughout the day) and have a chat with other teams.


Juridicum, 7th floor


4. Are there any preparation rooms for the teams at the Juridicum?
   
   
No, unfortunately, there are not. Since there are have been over 100 participating teams in recent years, the capacities of the Juridicum are pretty much exhausted. Teams will have to refer back to their hotels for working space.


5. Is there any place where teams can print (speeches etc) at the University?
   
   
No, but there are plenty of copy shops and internet cafes in Vienna with access to both computers and printers. As to internet cafes, you might want to check the overviews at Wien-Vienna or at World of Internetcafes.


6. Do the teams have to provide extra copies of their memoranda?
   
   
No, the copies that have already been sent should suffice. They will be handed out to arbitrators and potential competitors (in case the team reaches the finals; please note a change in the Rules for the 13th Moot, though: Teams that enter the elimination rounds will NOT be furnished with the memoranda of the teams against which they are to argue). However, it is always good to have some spare copies, just in case.


7. When do the teams find out whether they have made the finals?
   
   
The teams that will plead in the Elimination Rounds will be announced during a general meeting at the Auditorium in the Juridicum. The meeting will follow the end of the General Rounds and take place at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday night. The eliminations rounds begin Wednesday, 9 a.m.


Auditorium in which the Finalists will be announced


Vienna



8. How to get around in Vienna?
   
   
If you live somewhere in the city center the Juridicum and the Ma Pitom are within walking distance.

The Viennese public transport system is very accessible and made up of trains, trams, buses and an S-Bahn and U-Bahn (subway) network. Vienna's five U-Bahn lines are the easiest way to get around the city, with frequent trains running from around 5 a.m. till just after midnight. Trains generally run every five minutes during peak periods and every seven to eight minutes off-peak. Most Mooters find the U-Bahn the easiest way to get around Vienna.

You can purchase tickets from presale-ticket windows (Vorverkaufsstellen) or ticket vending machines at most U-Bahn stations, or from a tobacconist/newsstand (Tabak-Trafik). Individual tickets cost 1.50 Euro. If you can't buy a ticket ahead of time, you can get one from a machine inside a tram or bus (but not on the U-Bahn). It will cost slightly more (2 Euro).

Tickets are valid on all public transport in Vienna. Tickets bought on trams and buses must be validated, however tickets bought from the machines in U-Bahn stations are already validated and must be used immediately.

There are discounts for special passes (they are not available on buses/trams, but need to be bought in advance):


• A pass valid for 72 hours once stamped (72 Stunden Wien-Karte) costs 12.00 Euro.
• Another pass, also valid for 72 hours and carrying a confusingly similar name (Wien-Karte) additionally entitles the buyer to a discounts on a number of Viennese museums and comes at 16.90 Euro.
• A strip ticket valid for 4 trips (Streifenkarte für 4 Fahrten) costs 6 Euro.
• The weekly pass (Wochenkarte) allows unlimited travel on any U-Bahn, bus, tram etc in Vienna and costs a mere 12.50 Euro, but is valid from Monday 9 a.m. until next Monday 9 a.m. (and thus a little inconvenient for Moot Participants).
• Another option is the 8-day-pass (8-Tage-Ticket) for 24 Euro. This pass is valid for any 8 days, not necessarily in succession (each of the days allows you to travel until 1 a.m. the next day).


For further information, please check out the website of the City of Vienna at www.wien.at.


9. How is the weather in Vienna around Easter?
   
   
Unpredictable! It can be nice and sunny, it can also be really cold. Some years ago, it even snowed. It is always good to bring warm clothes.


10. What to see in Vienna?
    
    
There are tons of sights, for general reference, you should refer to www.wien.at or a travel guide. The MAA organizes a Guided Tour through the city of Vienna; please register under Moot Competition: Vienna Social Life. Whoever likes libraries - do not miss the National Library behind the Hofburg. Fans of the Vienna State Opera, please make your reservation directly with the official ticket offices.


11. What and where is the Bermuda-Dreieck?
    
    
The "Bermuda-Dreieck" (the Bermuda triangle) is how the Viennese call their pub and party district. The naming is fairly obvious: lots of liquid and people getting lost. Coincidentally, the Bermuda Dreieck happens to be one of the areas in Vienna most frequently visited by Moot Participants.


12. What is the "Ma Pitom"?
    
    
The Ma Pitom traditionally is the pub for the Moot. It is situated in the Bermuda-Dreieck, at Seitenstettengasse 5. Here's how a former Moot Participant describes the place:

The Ma Pitom (apparently Hebrew for 'Anyway') is a long and fairly narrow tube with a curved ceiling. The noise level generated by some hundred students is ear-shattering and forces people to scream a normal conversation, which in turn does not help to make things quieter. Service breaks down as soon as the place is too packed to get through, but getting to the bar is not a problem for an eager law student.

Nevertheless everybody's having a great time meeting even more people from different cultures, learning to say Cheers! in different tongues and picking up some foreign drinking songs. Some people even have rather serious talks about politics and current affairs to find out the views of someone from a different country. The only ones really and absolutely hating it are the staff. They have to stand all the noise and the bad air while taking orders in German and English spoken with the widest variety of dialects.

As the legend goes, the first 'Mooties' did not meet in the Ma Pitom every night. They met in some other pub. They had a great time and then two or three went up to the maitre d' maison and offered him a deal: they would stay all night and not visit other pubs and the maitre would close this place to the public and only cater for the Moot. The guy looked around and said no. So all the 100 people left for the Ma Pitom and the maitre had a perfectly quiet evening, broken only by his sobbing.


13. What's the Austrian cuisine like?
    
    
There are a couple of national dishes. They are not what you call "light" but indeed very tasty. Restaurants in Vienna serve a wide variety of them - so just check it out. What you should not miss is the "Kaiserschmarren", a kind of pancake with berries and cream, yummie... and the Vienna Melange, the coffee!


14. Are there any restaurants that should not be missed?
    
    
This, of course, is quite personal. A lot of people at the Moot favor the Zwölf-Apostel-Keller (Sonnenfelsgasse 3) near the Stephansdom. Also, Cafe Central (1. Bezirk, Herrengasse 14) has been a popular place to drop in to, as well as the old fashioned Cafe Hawelka.


15. Are there internet cafes in Vienna?
    
    
Yes, there are a number of internet cafes in Vienna. Please cf. the overviews at Wien-Vienna or at World of Internetcafes.