Etihad Airways and DLA Piper have partnered to sponsor some of the UAE’s most promising law students from the Al Ain University to compete at the internationally acclaimed Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2009 to be held in Washington D.C., USA. The UAE University Team was presented with Etihad flights to the competition along with a cheque from DLA Piper to cover their accommodation and expenses in the USA at a presentation ceremony held at national airline’s new head office complex in Abu Dhabi. David Church, Regional Managing Partner of DLA Piper Middle East said: "We are delighted to sponsor the Law Team again this year. “They have shown enormous enthusiasm and appreciation in their whole approach, including the training sessions which we have run for them with our lawyers. As for our legal consultants, they have generously given their time and expertise to coach the students for six full days in the art of litigation and international arbitration." Etihad Airways has provided the five Emirati students and two law professors from the UAE University in Al Ain with return tickets to New York, for the competition. James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive, said: “Etihad Airways is fully committed to Emiratisation and has comprehensive cadet pilot, graduate manager and engineer trainee schemes and therefore we are thrilled to support the law students as they represent the UAE in the moot court competition next month.” The Dean of the College of Shari’a and Law at the UAE University, Professor Jassem al Shamsi approached DLA Piper to be the exclusive legal sponsor of the UAE Law Team participating in the competition. Commenting on the legal sponsorship, Professor Jassem al Shamsi said, “We approached DLA Piper for sponsorship for a second year as they have demonstrated a strong commitment to the UAE and the Middle East and to empowering local talents.” He added: “We have benefited from the expertise of DLA Piper’s lawyers as they have provided our students with six full days training in Mooting practice both in Arabic and English. We are therefore looking forward to a better performance this year.” Sponsorship of the UAE University Law Team forms part of an ongoing programme of CSR activities DLA Piper is undertaking and represents the company’s commitment to unlocking local talent and attracting Emiratis to work in the private sector. Through its sponsorship of the UAE University Law Team DLA Piper’s legal consultants have helped to train the aspiring university law students in the art of litigation and prepare them for a mock court case in which they will compete against other top international law students. In addition, the Washington office of DLA Piper has invited the Team for a visit to their offices to meet with young trainee lawyers and experience first hand how a leading US Law firm operates. The Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, now in its 50th year, is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from over 500 law schools in more than 80 countries. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice. Thousands of law students from around the world will compete in international rounds between March 22 - 27, 2009 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington DC, USA. Each team is required to prepare oral and written pleadings arguing both the applicant and respondent positions of the case, judged by an elite corps of volunteer attorneys.

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