UCL Jessup Moot Court Competition team to represent UK at world’s largest moot court competition

UCL Laws congratulates the UCL Jessup Moot Court Competition team, who have advanced to the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition international rounds and will represent the UK in Washington DC from 9-15 April.

The 2016-2017 season marks the 58th year of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Jessup is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from over 550 law schools in more than 87 countries.

The Competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations.

The UK Jessup national rounds were held at Gray’s Inn from February 24-26. After prevailing over many other strong teams, the UCL team advanced to the Finals and pleaded before the distinguished bench of District Judge Holmes, Kate Parlett (20 Essex Street), Qudsi Rasheed (FCO), Clare Connellan (White & Case), and Sir Michael Wood QC presiding.

Lorraine Aboagye (UCL Laws LLM candidate) was selected the best Oralist of the UK Final rounds and received a prize for her excellent performance. Additionally, Camila Zapata Besso (UCL Laws LLM candidate) received the highest scores for her oral arguments and won a prize as the best overall Oralist of the UK national rounds.

The team’s written pleadings received the highest scores and were ranked the best memorials in the UK rounds. All members of the team were ranked at the top placements in the competition.

The members of the team are: Lorraine Aboagye, Camila Zapata Besso and Chengxi Tan (UCL Laws LLM candidates), Richard Kwek and Nathan Shekhar (UCL Laws LLB students).

The coaches are: Catalina Gonzalez Verdugo (LLM candidate), Niko Pavlopoulos and Ira Ryk-Lakhman (UCL Laws PhD candidates).