A pair of Cambodian law students blitzed international competition from countries including the US, Canada and Australia in narrowly missing a slot in the finals of an international law contest in Dublin at the weekend.

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The two-person team, consisting of Royal University of Law and Economics students Sok Vanseka and Tann Boravin, competed in the worldwide Louis M Brown and Forrest S Mosten International Client Consultation Competition against representatives from 23 other countries.

“In Dublin, there are two preliminary rounds in order to select nine teams for the semi-finals. At the end of the two rounds, Cambodia was tied for first place with New Zealand with a perfect score,” Megan Karsh, the team’s law lecturer who accompanied them to the competition, told the Post by email yesterday.

“It was simply awesome. They beat the US, Canada, Australia, and all other native English-speaking countries.”

Despite being edged out of a spot in the finals by China, the judges had told the Cambodian team it was a very close decision and they were impressed with the work of the two female students from Phnom Penh, Karsh said.

For fourth-year law student Sok Vanseka, the experience was a taste of international law standards.

“I have gained a lot of experiences from these competitions, such as getting to know more about people around the world in the same field . . . and using the techniques of an international lawyer,” the 19-year-old said.

Her 19-year-old team-mate said the experience had been a taste of possibility.

“After graduation, I wish to be a diplomat or work as a staffer at a well-known or international NGO that allows me to experience the world,” she said.

The two women were selected after acing an international law competition administered as part of a joint project by the American Bar Association and the East West Management Institute.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bridget Di Certo at [email protected]