Fifty members of ELSA, the European Law Students’ Association, spearheaded by its chapter at WU Wien, in connection with its renowned Summer ELSA Vienna Dispute Resolution Law school 2017, visited the home of Austria’s leading litigation and arbitration practice for a day of training in the soft skills necessary for effective trial work that are not taught in the classroom. A distinguished and quite enthusiastic group of pan–European law students from a variety of top law faculties throughout the continent attended the workshop at the offices of KNOETZL on August 3 to learn courtroom skills and communication techniques from respected practitioners, with a focus on cross-examination, witness understanding, de-escalation of conflict, critical analysis and litigation, in general. The skills ELSA asked lawyers of KNOETZL to impart to this academically-accomplished group of European law students are among those that are useful, important and demonstrably effective in court work in virtually every jurisdiction throughout Europe.

Neither our visitors nor their hosts were disappointed in the day. Three of the firm’s senior disputes lawyers, Bettina Knötzl, Emmanuel Kaufman and Natascha Tunkel, lectured and fielded questions, and the positive reaction and appreciation of the students was palpable.

The ELSA students were treated to lunch overlooking the imperial center of Vienna, and several more KNOETZL lawyers, in addition to our spirited lecturers, were treated to lively discussions with groups of the multinational and diversely- jurisdictional student visitors, who continued to make themselves most welcome.

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