Teaching & Μentoring Experience

From September 2024 to the Regional Rounds of the 13th Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition (HPMCC) in Vilnius (21-23 February 2025), I had the privilege of coaching the Democritus University of Thrace Law School’s team, consisting of Athanasia Magklara, Lydia Marou, and Kleio Koromila, alongside our academic advisor, Professor Ioanna Pervou.

Week by week, connecting online from Montreal to Komotini, I watched their advocacy take shape: stronger legal reasoning, clearer structure in the writingsubmissions, and oral pleadings delivered with increasing composure. Their written submissions (January) and their oral pleadings in Vilnius (February) reflected sustained work, team cohesion, and a steady drive to improve.

Although the team did not advance among the 18 teams qualifying for the Final Oral Round in Strasbourg, their progress over the weeks was significant, and I have no doubt their next steps, whether in academia or practice, will be marked by the same seriousness and potential.

Dimitris Kapai, Olympia Chatzigianni, and Georgia Asimakou represented Democritus University of Thrace in the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition (HPMCC) with steady growth throughout the academic year.

Their efforts were rewarded with a standout result at the Regional Round in Ankara (2-4 February 2024): the team ranked 7th out of 52 teams, securing a place among the 18 teams qualifying for the Final Oral Round in Strasbourg (27-31 May 2024). From September onward, they showed consistent progress: stronger structure in their written submissions, tighter issue framing, and oral pleadings that became increasingly better. 

Although I was based in Montreal for my master's studies during much of the preparation, I had the pleasure of coaching remotely alongside Professor Ioanna Pervou (Democritus University of Thrace). The distance and time difference made the commitment behind the work even more visible: weekly meetings, drafting sessions, and repeated mock pleadings. 

The team was supported for the Regional Round by Delivanis Foundation, and for the Final Round by Spanos-Fouskarinis & Associates Law Firm. 

In Strasbourg, the Final Oral Round offered not only an intense pleading experience but also meaningful institutional encounters. We had the pleasure of meeting Hon. Judge Ioannis Ktistakis and Dr. Michail Christodoulou, who shared valuable insights on the Courts work and provided inspiring guidance to the students some of which are thinking of persuing careers in international human rights law.

At the end of the trip, the team surprised me with a “Team Coach of the Year” award, a gesture I will carry far beyond Strasbourg.

Over 8 months, Aimilia Tsachalidou, Thodoris Doukas, and Anastasia Pouliou represented Democritus University in the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition (HPMCC) with remarkable dedication and skill. 

Their work culminated in a major achievement: following the Regional Round in Tbilisi (24-26 February 2023), the team qualified among the 18 teams advancing to the Final Oral Round in Strasbourg (22-26 May 2023). From the first drafting sessions to the final pleadings, their performance reflected steady growth: clearer structure, sharper legal reasoning, and an ability to handle pressure with composure.

In Tbilisi, before the competition began, we had the privilege of meeting Maria Theodorou. Her encouragement and support were deeply motivating for the team. The Regional Round was also a reminder of the competition’s intergenerational community: as a former participant myself, it was a special joy to see former participants returning as coaches, and to feel the continuity of the moot across universities. The team also shared their experience beyond the competition through an interview with a local radio station, bringing visibility to their work and to the university’s continued presence in this demanding forum.

Strasbourg brought the intensity of the Final Oral Round and the always exciting experience of pleading at the European Court of Human Rights. While the team did not advance to the Quarter Finals, they delivered their pleadings with resilience and professionalism, showing what the best teams learn by the end of a long season: how to prioritize under time constraints, stay stable under interruption, and defend a coherent theory of the case as a unit.

Beyond the rounds, the week offered unforgettable institutional and public-facing moments. We met Hon. Judge Ioannis Ktistakis at the European Court of Human Rights, who offered some of his time to answer students' questions and show us around the Greek office of the Court. We also crossed paths with Professor George Theodosis (Democritus University of Thrace), who was in Strasbourg for the meetings of the European Committee of Social Rights. 

The 10th edition of the Helga Pedersen Moot Court Competition (HPMCC) took place in a fully virtual format, in the lingering context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a setting that demanded adaptability and a different kind of advocacy training. Marina Desylla and Maria Nikolarakou approached the year with seriousness and steady work, developing the core skills the competition rewards: clear structure in the written submissions, precise legal arguments, and oral advocacy that remain stable under interruption.

While the team did not qualify for the Final Oral Round, their commitment throughout a remote cycle: training, drafting, and pleading through screens, was an achievement in itself, and a strong foundation for the next cohort.

Christina Paradeli, Eirini Tzavella, and Olga Kampouraki took on the  Regional Round (Cluj-Napoca, 19-21 March 2021) of the 9th European Human Rights Moot Court Competition (EHRMCC) in a fully online setting, an unusual format that demanded adaptability to an online oral pleading.

What stood out in their work was how intentionally they built their advocacy: learning to open with a clear roadmap, to answer first and explain second, and to keep the thread of the argument when the bench pressed hard. Their progress was visible in the details: cleaner transitions between issues, tighter arguments, and a team rhythm that made the pleading feel unified rather than three separate speeches.

The team did not advance to the Final Oral Round, but they completed the regional round with professionalism and growth, leaving with stronger advocacy habits that carry well beyond the competition.