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Moot courts

English version of this page will be available soon. In the meantime, if you need information about the programme, please contact Cattolica International.

Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore will be selecting students to represent the University in the 2025 edition of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

The team will be led by Dr Francesca Sironi De Gregorio and Dr. Riccardo Ricchetti, under the supervision of Prof. Gabriele Della Morte, who will act as professor in charge.

 

Programme

The Jessup Moot Court Competition is a prestigious international public law competition which more than 600 universities from over 100 countries take part in every year. Students compete in a simulation of international litigation before the International Court of Justice based on a complex real case that requiring the solution to questions of public international law. Over the six-month period of the competition, the team will be required to draft two written memoranda and then discuss the case orally at the Italian round of the competition before a panel made up of renowned academics and professionals. The working language is English.
 
The Jessup Competition is a unique opportunity for university students in Italy. It allows for students to compete with a real case and improve their skills in legal analysis and teamwork. It also provides an excellent opportunity for students to improve their command of English, both written and oral.

Students participating in the Jessup Competition will be awarded 5 credit points.


 How the competition unfolds

The Jessup Competition begins with the publication of the case in September, and is divided into two stages, one written and one oral. The first stage involves studying the case and carrying out the legal research leading up to writing the memoranda. The team will draw up memoranda for both parties in the case, one for the Claimant (the plaintiff), and one for the Respondent (the defendant), to be submitted by mid-January.

The oral stage takes place at the conclusion of the written stage, when students will take part in the Italian round in February. The winning team will then fly to Washington D.C. to compete against the other winners of the international rounds. 

The official Jessup Competition website publishes a great deal of information about the competition, while general information about the Italian round is available here.

For any further information about how the competition is carried out, contact Dott.ssa Francesca Sironi De Gregorio (francesca.sironide@unicatt.it) and Dott. Riccardo Ricchetti (riccardo.ricchetti@unicatt.it).

Students will be selected on the basis of their English language level (applicants are recommended to have a minimum level of B2), academic merit and an aptitude interview conducted mostly in English. Applicants must have passed the Public International Law exam (Diritto internazionale pubblico). Preference will be given to applicants who have passed this exam with a grade above 27 and those who have taken the following exams: International Criminal Law, Human Rights and Legal Clinics in International Law (Diritto internazionale penale, Diritti dell’uomo e Legal clinics in international law).

To take part in the selection process:

  • email Dott.ssa Sironi and Dott. Ricchetti by 8 September 2024, with the subject line “Application for Jessup competition – your surname and first name”. Attach your CV showing which international law exams you have taken and listing all other relevant information.
     
  • attend an aptitude interview, which will be held in person at 9.30 on 10 September 2024: applicants will be provided with details of where the interviews will be held in the days leading up to the interview. 

Taking part in the competition will entail the following costs:

  • €650 Jessup team registration fee, to be divided between the participants;
  • travel expenses, accommodation and meals for Italian round;
  • travel expenses, accommodation and meals for the trip to Washington DC if the team qualifies for the final. 

Members of the team will have to settle the above costs themselves, except for partial reimbursement as follows: 

  • Università Cattolica will reimburse the registration fee in full.  

An infosession will be held on Monday 8 July 2024 at 14.00 in room G153, and online (click here to take part).

Contacts

Dott.ssa Francesca Sironi De Gregorio (francesca.sironide@unicatt.it)
Dott. Riccardo Ricchetti (riccardo.ricchetti@unicatt.it) 

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