v.l.n.r. Verena Celina Schulz, Christina Schmitz, Til Daniels und Katja Grünfeld (Coach)

Christina Schmitz (23) grew up in the district of Heinsberg, where she graduated from the Cusanus Gymnasium Erkelenz – Europaschule in 2017.

Starting from a young age, Christina fostered great interest in space-related topics, leading to an internship at the European Space Agency (ESA) European Astronaut Training Centre that gave her valuable insight into space missions. To deepen her knowledge of how these missions and outer space in general are regulated, she visited Prof. Hobe´s Space Law lecture during her first semester of studying law at the University of Cologne in 2017. Already then, Christina knew that she wanted to delve deeper into this topic. The importance of international relations and cooperation became tangible for her during several exchanges. Later on, Christina had the opportunity to work on International mandates within a major law firm in Cologne. The lawyers´ work, and how international conflicts are solved, lastingly impressed her.

Christina works at the Institute of Media and Communication Law, and specialises in related fields. Despite seemingly vast differences between Space Law and Media Law, she appreciates their similarities and takes them into account when working on her legal skills. Just like Space Law, Media Law is a young field of law and subject to constant change, making Christina used to working in an area that constantly evokes new problems, demands to deal with progress and challenges her to think out of the box.

Christina is looking forward to finding creative solutions for previously undiscussed topics with her team and meeting like-minded people from all over the world during the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition.

Til Daniels (23) was born in Neustadt and grew up in Hellenthal, where he graduated from Clara-Gymnasium in 2017. He went on to do an apprenticeship at KfW in Frankfurt and has been working there ever since.

He has been studying Law at the University of Cologne since 2020. Through his work in a public bank that works internationally, he became interested in state relationships and international law.

For Til, the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition is an opportunity to improve his English skills, get a feeling for the actual work of a lawyer and broaden the experience gathered during his time at the university. He is looking forward to working with his teammates and competing against international teams.

Verena Celina Schulz (21) was born in Bensberg and raised in Solingen, where she graduated from Humboldt Gymnasium in 2019. She is currently studying law in her 5th semester at the University of Cologne.

Outer Space as well as international relations have always fascinated and intrigued Verena. As a high school student she competed in the national round of the German Young Physicists’ Tournament three years in a row, where she first cultivated a passion for discussing and defending various physics problems she worked on in English with other competitors. This interest was further strengthened when she studied abroad in New Zealand for a semester, gaining further knowledge in advanced engineering and electronics classes, in which finding solution strategies for complex physical tasks together with her classmates was an essential element. After getting an insight into the field of law during her internships, Verena chose to pursue law as her primary degree course as it, especially international law, combined aspects of discussion of current cases and scientific exchange. After she attended Prof. Dr. Hobe´s lecture on Space Law, she saw an opportunity to combine her studies in law with the technical aspects she had grown to love. Additionally, she completed the Cambridge Certificate C2, the DELF B2 and Spanish courses up to level B1 to solidify her knowledge in English, French and Spanish.

For Verena, the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition is an excellent opportunity to keep pursuing her passion for space and justice while working on her rhetorical and written skills, and expanding her knowledge in Space Law. She looks forward to competing together with her team mates and meeting other dedicated students as well as judges from various countries.

v.l.n.r. Sebastian Schlingmann, Marie-Claire de Bruijn, Katja Grünfeld (Coach), Katharina Prall

Katharina Prall (26) was born in Cologne and grew up in Bad Münstereifel, where she graduated from St. Michael-Gymnasium in 2014.

She has been studying Law at the University of Cologne since 2015 and soon discovered her interest for International Law, which led her to complete her specialization in Public International Law and European Law. During her specialized studies, she participated in the lecture on Space Law, which instantly fascinated her.

Following this new found passion, Katharina began to work as a research fellow in a law firm in Cologne, which provides legal advice and legal project management services to complex high-technology and infrastructure projects and is specialized inter alia in Air and Space Law.

Before finishing her studies, Katharina wanted to take the opportunity of participating in the Manfred Lachs Moot Court competition to further deepen her knowledge of Public International Law and Space Law, and to train important soft skills.

Katharina is looking forward to working with her team, meeting other students from all over Europe and to finally plead in front of an international panel of judges, all experts in space law.

Sebastian Schlingmann (22) was born and raised in Werther Westf., where he graduated from the Ev. Gymnasium Werther in 2018. After his graduation several legal internships fostered his interest in law and the legal system. He is currently studying law in his 7^th semester.

Ever since studying abroad in Canada, Sebastian´s fascination for international relations has been growing. Through various lectures in his foundational and major studies he was able to enhance his knowledge of Public International Law.

After contributing to research work at the Institute for Insurance Law, he started to work as a student assistant at a major law firm in Cologne. There, he discovered his passion for becoming acquainted with a specific legal issue and finding the ideal solution. Corresponding to that passion, he was able to gain further practical experiences through his work at the Refugee Law Clinic Cologne.

For Sebastian, the Manfred Lachs Moot Court Competition is a unique opportunity to deepen his knowledge of international law and space law as well as to sharpen his rhetorical skills. He is looking forward to meeting with  and competing against other students from all over the world.

Marie-Claire de Bruijn (23) was born and raised in Trier, where she graduated from a business administration school in 2019. She is currently studying law in her 5^th semester at the University of Cologne.

Long before her current studies, it was already her goal to gain knowledge about law as well as research the science of outer space and related topics. Her enthusiasm was further fostered through her work as a student assistant in the legal department of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), an internship in a legal firm with a focus on space law, and her volunteer work in the World Space Week Association (WSWA). In addition, Marie-Claire participates in the CUSL program in order to improve her legal English and to develop her knowledge of different legal systems.

During her work, Marie-Claire received multiple insights into technology applications within the space sector, which encouraged her to apply her practical knowledge to projects, including her contribution to a legal publication and presentations for ESA meetings. For Marie-Claire, this entanglement of law and practical applications, sparked a deep fascination for space law. 

Marie-Claire views the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition as a great opportunity to specialize in space law, gain personal experience and bolster her rhetorical and legal writing abilities before preparing for her major studies. Marie-Claire is very eager to encounter people with the same passion as her.