Award for Law Faculty Students
Third-year Law Faculty students Simge Akar, Özgür Azem Karadağ, and Nart Emre Polat won first place in the Serkan Odaman Essay Competition organized by the İzmir branch of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA).
The theme of this year’s competition, held for the third time, was Government Systems in Comparative Constitutional Law. The students received the award for their article titled “Legislature versus Executive: The Problem of Dual Legitimacy in Presidential Systems,” in which they examined potential challenges of presidential systems through a comparative analysis of various countries.
Bilkent University Faculty of Law student Öykü Vural won third place in the essay competition organized by the Bursa Bar Association.
31 August 2022
In the essay competition held annually by the Bursa Bar Association in memory of the late attorney Cengiz Göral, our third-year Law Faculty student Öykü Vural was awarded third place.
Vural participated in the nationwide competition, titled “Freedom, Democracy, and Justice,” which brought together attorneys, judges, prosecutors, law and communication students, as well as journalists, with her article entitled “The Selection of Attorney Members to the Constitutional Court.”
In her article, she examined potential scenarios that may arise even when the current legal framework is followed and discussed the unlawful consequences that such scenarios could produce. Emphasizing the crucial role of the Constitutional Court in safeguarding democratic guarantees, she analyzed the political profile of attorney members and the challenges surrounding their appointment process. Drawing attention to gaps in the existing legislation, she also proposed solutions to address these challenges within the judicial system.
The article is available in Issue No. 121 of the Bursa Bar Association Journal.
Bilkent University Faculty of Law Student Özgür Kurt Wins the “Future Arbitration Lawyer Award” at the 5th ISTAC Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition!
Özgür Kurt, a member of the Bilkent University Faculty of Law ISTAC Moot Court Team, was awarded the “Future Arbitration Lawyer Award” at the 5th Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition, held online between 9–11 July 2021.
The Bilkent University ISTAC Moot Court Team, coached by Prof. Dr. Bilgin Tiryakioğlu and Dr. Ekin Korkmaz, was represented by Law Faculty students Orkun A. Apan, Ö. Y. Ogeday Demirer, Kutalmış H. Ersoy, A. Segenay Kerimoğlu, Özgür Kurt, and Meltem Sarıtaş.The competition was based on a fictional dispute concerning the trade of gaming consoles between two countries subject to an embargo. The case involved the application of the ISTAC Mediation and Arbitration Rules, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), and Turkish law. The competition began with the submission of claimant and respondent memorials in November 2020 and continued with online oral hearings held on 9–11 July 2021.Approximately 50 university teams from across Türkiye participated in the competition. Hundreds of law students competed in the oral rounds, where the Bilkent team successfully advanced to the quarterfinals.
Bilkent University Received the Honorable Mention Award for Best New Law School at the 2021 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
17 April 2021
Five students from Bilkent University Faculty of Law represented Bilkent at the 2021 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, widely recognized as the world’s oldest and largest moot court competition, held annually since 1960.
In the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition, thousands of law students from around the world engage in written and oral advocacy on behalf of two fictional states before the International Court of Justice. Following the successful completion of the written phase, teams compete against one another in the Preliminary Rounds through oral pleadings. The highest-ranked teams then qualify for the White & Case Advanced Rounds.
This year’s fictional dispute concerned issues arising from the “J-VID-18 Pandemic,” including the closure of borders by one state and its resulting liability for damages caused to another state; the protection granted by a state to a foreign scientist under investigation for allegedly leaking information about the virus from a consulate; the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice; and the international legal consequences of a state mistakenly shooting down a civilian aircraft under the suspicion of an imminent terrorist attack.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was held entirely online for the first time in its history, attracting more than 600 teams worldwide and achieving the highest level of student participation in the Global Rounds to date.
The Bilkent University Team was coached by Assist. Prof. Danai Angeli and Assist. Prof. Ayşe Dicle Ergin. The team consisted of senior students Ece Deniz Günel, Zeynep Ceren Şen, Eylül Kabakcı, Sıla Öz, and Aysu Gül Yılmaz, with third-year student Yüksel Söğüt Atilla supporting the team through research activities.
This marked Bilkent University’s first participation in the Philip C. Jessup Competition. The team prepared two written memorials and successfully completed the Preliminary Rounds by delivering ten oral pleadings against teams from various regions of the world, including Western Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe, North America, and South Asia.
As a result of its performance in both the written and oral phases, the Bilkent Team became the only Turkish team to qualify for the White & Case Advanced Rounds. The team finished the Global Rounds in 158th place worldwide and was awarded the Best New Law School Honorable Mention Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts throughout the competition.
Global Moot Court Achievements of Bilkent University Faculty of Law Students in 2021
2 April 2021
Five of our Law Faculty students represented Bilkent on the global stage and returned with awards from the world’s two largest international commercial arbitration moot court competitions, as well as from several prestigious pre-moot competitions.
The Bilkent Vis Moot Team, coached by Attorney Derya Durlu Gürzumar (LL.B. ’10, LL.M. ’15), a member of the Istanbul Bar Association, consisted of second-year law student Ahmet Furkan Karagölge, third-year law student Elifsu Gözen, and fourth-year law students Emin Tuna Yılmazer, Beyza Nur Adıgüzel, and Arslan Faruk Gülsoy.
First, at the 18th Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis East), held between 14–21 March 2021 with the participation of 147 law schools from around the world, our students advanced to the quarterfinals and ranked among the top eight teams globally. They were awarded the Eric E. Bergsten Best Team Award, Honorable Mention. Elifsu Gözen and Emin Tuna Yılmazer also received the Neil Kaplan Best Oralist Award, Honorable Mention.
Second, at the 28th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis), held between 26 March and 1 April 2021 with the participation of 382 law schools and nearly 2,500 law students worldwide, our team advanced to the top 16 teams and received another Eric E. Bergsten Best Team Award, Honorable Mention.
Bilkent University became the only Turkish team ever to reach the quarterfinals in the Vis East competition during its first participation. Likewise, in the Vis competition, which Bilkent has attended since 2005, it became the only Turkish law faculty to rank among the top 16 teams in the competition’s 28-year history.
The team also achieved remarkable success in several prestigious pre-moot competitions, placing third at the ICC Vis Pre-Moot organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), second at the 14th PCA Vis Pre-Moot organized by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), second at the 7th Brno Vis Pre-Moot, and first at the 13th Prague Vis Pre-Moot.
Among the team members, Elifsu Gözen received the Third Best Oralist Award at the 7th Brno Vis Pre-Moot. Beyza Nur Adıgüzel received the Third Best Oralist Award at the 6th Madrid Vis Pre-Moot and was named Best Oralist at both the 7th Brno Vis Pre-Moot and the 13th Prague Vis Pre-Moot.
Formed in August 2020, the Bilkent Vis Moot Team spent eight months preparing for a fictional dispute concerning the licensing and sale of viral vectors used in the production of COVID-19 vaccines. Following the release of the case file in October 2020, the team prepared four written submissions and participated in online hearings in March 2021. Their dedication and hard work culminated in an outstanding performance that represented Bilkent University with distinction on the global stage.
https://w3.bilkent.edu.tr/web/bilkentnews/vol27number23.pdf
Bilkent University Faculty of Law Wins the 4th Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition!
26 July 2020
The Bilkent University Faculty of Law ISTAC Moot Court Team won first place in the 4th Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition, held online between 24–26 July 2020.
The Bilkent University ISTAC Moot Court Team, coached by Attorney Derya Durlu Gürzumar (LL.B. ’10, LL.M. ’15), a member of the Istanbul Bar Association, was represented by senior law students Duygu Gümüşcü, Nadide Kara, Ongun Özel, and Ahmet Yaşar.
The competition began in November 2019 with the submission of claimant and respondent memorials concerning a fictional dispute in the medical devices sector, governed by the ISTAC Mediation and Arbitration Rules and Turkish law. The Bilkent team subsequently competed in the oral hearings, which were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of law students participated in the online hearings held between 24–26 July, with nearly 50 university teams from across Türkiye taking part in the competition.
Since the competition was established in 2016, Bilkent University Faculty of Law has been the only faculty to place among the top three teams every year and the only faculty to have won first place twice.
Award at the 27th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition!
9 April 2020
The Bilkent University Faculty of Law Moot Court Team competed in the 27th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, held online between 4–9 April 2020. Team member Can Sarp Özcan received an Honorable Mention in the Martin Domke Award for Best Oral Advocate category.
The Bilkent University Moot Court Team, coached by Attorney Derya Durlu Gürzumar (LL.B. ’10, LL.M. ’15), a member of the Istanbul Bar Association, was represented by senior law students Muhammed Hanifi Değirmençay, Mustafa Karadaş, Can Sarp Özcan, Nil Zeren Özdemir, and third-year law student Ece Nur Yıldız.
The competition began in October 2019 with the preparation of claimant and respondent memorials concerning a fictional dispute involving the sale of turbines, governed by the 2014 London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) Arbitration Rules and the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). The Bilkent team also participated in the oral hearings, which were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 249 university teams from around the world took part in the online hearings. This marked the fourth time that Bilkent University Faculty of Law received an Honorable Mention in the Martin Domke Award for Best Oral Advocate category. The first award was received by Öncü Serter (LAW ’08) in 2008, while the second and third awards were won by Derya Durlu Gürzumar in 2009 and 2010.
Award at the 27th Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition
4 February 2021
Bilkent Law Alumna Receives the Relève étoile Paul-Gérin-Lajoie (Rising Star) Award
Didem Doğar, a 2010 graduate of Bilkent University Faculty of Law and a Ph.D. candidate at McGill University Faculty of Law, was awarded the January 2021 Relève étoile Paul-Gérin-Lajoie (Rising Star) Award.
Her award-winning research, titled “On the Use of Asylum Testimonies in Criminal and Quasi-Criminal Proceedings: H. and J. v the Netherlands and Jaballah (Re)”, was published as a book chapter by Springer in Causes and Consequences of Migrant Criminalization. In her study, Doğar demonstrates that the use of legal regulations concerning refugees in Canada and the Netherlands within criminal proceedings or national security investigations may violate procedural rights.
The Relève étoile Paul-Gérin-Lajoie Award is presented each month by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (Quebec Research Fund) to a graduate student or early-career researcher in recognition of outstanding research contributions.
Elif Gökşen Wins the International Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Award
01 October 2019
Elif Gökşen, a 2010 graduate of Bilkent University Faculty of Law, has been awarded the International Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The award is organized by the International Bar Association Young Lawyers’ Committee with the sponsorship of LexisNexis.
Gökşen holds two master’s degrees, one from the London School of Economics and Political Science as a Chevening Scholar and the other from Galatasaray University. Since 2014, she has been working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She is also pursuing her Ph.D. at Ankara University Faculty of Law. As part of her doctoral research, she conducted dissertation studies at Columbia Law School as a Fulbright Scholar.
The award was presented to her on 26 September 2019 at the International Bar Association’s Annual Conference in Seoul.
Following this achievement, Gökşen continued her career as a Visiting Professional in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.
Işıl Kurnaz Receives Research Grant Under the Bahri Savcı Human Rights Research Support Program with the Highest-Ranked Doctoral Dissertation Proposal.
15 September 2019
Our Faculty’s Constitutional Law Research Assistant and Ph.D. student, Işıl Kurnaz, has been awarded academic support under the Bahri Savcı Human Rights Research Support Program, funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, after receiving the highest evaluation score for her doctoral dissertation project.
Derya Durlu Gürzumar Ranked First in the 2019 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Turkey Competition
10 December 2019
Derya Durlu Gürzumar was ranked first in Türkiye in 2019 after being selected for the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) Award in the field of Politics, Law, and Public Administration by the Turkish branch of the Junior Chamber International (JCI), one of the world’s largest non-governmental organizations, headquartered in the United States and with more than 200,000 members worldwide.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/outstanding-young-person-award-presented/
Senior Law Student Wins Third Prize in Sports Law Essay Competition
23 May 2019
The theme of the 2018/19 Sports Law Essay Competition, organized for the third time by the Kadir Has University Center for Sports Studies, was the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Dilara Kantaş, a senior student at Bilkent University Faculty of Law, participated in the competition on 8 March 2019, competing alongside participants that included doctoral students. With her essay titled “A Critical Human Rights Perspective on the Procedural Rules and Adjudication of the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” she was awarded third prize on 19 May 2019.
Third Award for Bilkent at the III Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition
29 April 2019
The team representing Bilkent University Faculty of Law was awarded third place at the III Future Arbitration Lawyer Competition, organized by Young ISTAC (Istanbul Arbitration Centre). The competition attracted a record number of participants, bringing together 311 students in 59 teams from 28 universities.
Representing the Faculty of Law under the guidance of Attorney Derya Durlu Gürzumar, with assistant coaches Dr. Gizem Alper and Elçin Aktan, were Hande Bingöl, Doğukan Hepmayda, Münevver İlayda Şirolu, Fatma Dilara İşler, Gökçe Filiz Çavuşoğlu, and Havva Nur Getiren.
Over the past three years, Bilkent Law Faculty teams have consistently advanced to the semifinals of this competition. In its third year, the Bilkent team was once again the only team to receive an award during the oral rounds.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/law-students-win-award-in-arbitration-competition/
Law Graduate Named Among Türkiye’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons
3 December 2018
Didem Doğar, a graduate of Bilkent University Faculty of Law (Class of 2010), was recognized as one of Türkiye’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons. After working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Council of Europe, Doğar continued her academic career as a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Law of McGill University in Canada.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/law-graduate-named-one-of-turkeys-10-outstanding-young-people/
Faculty of Law Launches Alumni Conference Series
22 October 2018
The Faculty of Law has launched its new Alumni Conference Series, offering students the opportunity to meet law graduates working in a variety of professions and sectors.
Through this series, the Faculty invites its alumni to share their professional experiences after graduation and provide students with insights and advice on career opportunities. The conferences aim to strengthen connections between current students and alumni while offering valuable perspectives on diverse career paths available to law graduates.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/law-facultys-alumni-talk-series-gets-underway/
Bilkent Alumna Presents Research at the Global Conference on Environmental Taxation (GCET)
28 September 2018
N. Nilay Dayanç Kuzeyli (LL.B. ’10, LL.M. in Law and Economics ’11), a Bilkent alumna and doctoral candidate, presented a paper at the 19th Global Conference on Environmental Taxation (GCET), held in Madrid between 26–28 September 2018.
Her paper, entitled “Taxation as a Preventive Measure for Environmental Protection – Designing a Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax,” has been selected for publication by Thomson Reuters.
For the past two decades, the Global Conference on Environmental Taxation (GCET) has served as an important international forum, bringing together academics and practitioners from around the world to discuss current issues and developments in environmental taxation.
Law Students Win First Place in Arbitration Competition
7 May 2018
On 28–29 April, a team of Bilkent University Faculty of Law students consisting of Ali Kemal Kula, Melike Nurefşan Yardımcı, Merve Nur Aşkar, Sıla Karakoç, Doruk Erhan, and Zeynep Özmenler represented Bilkent at the “Future Arbitration Lawyer” Competition organized by the Istanbul Arbitration Centre (ISTAC).
The competition brought together 48 teams, each representing hypothetical clients in a fictional legal dispute. The Bilkent team, coached by Prof. Bilgin Tiryakioğlu, Dr. Pınar Altınok, and Dr. Arif Barış Özbilen, achieved first place in the competition.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/law-students-take-first-place-in-arbitration-competition/
Bilkent Alumna Presents Paper at an International Law Conference
6 November 2017
Derya Durlu Gürzumar (LL.B. ’10; LL.M. in Law and Economics ’15), a Bilkent alumna, participated in the Annual Conference of the International Bar Association (IBA) as both a scholarship recipient and a speaker.
The conference, held in Sydney, Australia, from 8–13 October, attracted thousands of participants from around the world. The International Bar Association is recognized as the world’s largest international organization bringing together legal communities, bar associations, and lawyers across jurisdictions to promote the rule of law and professional cooperation.http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/bilkent-graduate-speaks-at-international-law-conference/
Law Students Shine at Competitions in Ankara and Istanbul
9 May 2017
On 22–23 April, the oral rounds of the Prof. Dr. Ejder Yılmaz Moot Court Competition, organized by the Ankara Branch of the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA), were held. Twenty teams from universities across Türkiye represented their clients in a hypothetical dispute involving Turkish civil procedure and commercial law.
Three teams from Bilkent University advanced to the semifinals based on their oral advocacy performances. Considering their overall performance, including the written phase, the team consisting of M. Sami Yılmaz, Ethem Karahan, Rumeysa Budak, and Afra Ece Kaya placed second. The team of Ayşe Duranay, Melis Genç, and Mualla Betül Özkan finished third, while the team consisting of Merve Nur Aşkar, Ozan Çorbacıoğlu, Fevzi Polat, and Beyza Arıcıoğlu placed fourth.
These results highlighted the strong advocacy and legal reasoning skills demonstrated by Bilkent Law students in one of Türkiye’s leading moot court competitions.http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/law-students-shine-at-competitions-in-ankara-and-istanbul/
Leading Legal Professionals at the Law Students Forum
15 February 2016
The 4th Law Students Forum, organized by the Career in Law Club, will be held on 20–21 February at the Bilkent Hotel.
The forum has attracted unprecedented interest, with participation increasing by 400 percent compared to the previous year. A total of 700 students from 43 universities across Türkiye have registered to attend, making it one of the largest gatherings of law students in the country.http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/leading-legal-experts-to-address-law-students-forum/
Bilkent Law Alumna Selected as Commencement Speaker at Duke Law School
21 April 2014
Tolga Özek, a 2011 graduate of Bilkent University Faculty of Law, has been selected as the Class Speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony of Duke University School of Law, where he completed his LL.M. degree in the United States.
http://bilnews.bilkent.edu.tr/bilkent-law-grad-selected-class-speaker-at-duke-law-school/
Outstanding Young Lawyer Award Presented to Bilkent Law Alumna Elif Gökşen (Class of 2010)
Elif Gökşen, a 2010 graduate of Bilkent University Faculty of Law, has been awarded the International Bar Association (IBA) Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The award is presented by the IBA Young Lawyers’ Committee with the sponsorship of LexisNexis.
Gökşen holds two master’s degrees, one from the London School of Economics and Political Science as a Chevening Scholar and another from Galatasaray University. Since 2014, she has been working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She is also pursuing her doctoral studies at Ankara University Faculty of Law and conducted her doctoral dissertation research at Columbia Law School as a Fulbright Scholar.
The award was presented to her on 26 September 2019 at the International Bar Association’s Annual Conference in Seoul.
Following this achievement, Gökşen continued her professional career as a Visiting Professional in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.
https://www.ibanet.org/Article/NewDetail.aspx?ArticleUid=f18b74cf-5461-4226-ab3d-c6c3a801814c