Jessup Moot Court Team Outperforms Yale and Georgetown at International Competition
Rutgers Law School’s Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team competed at the U.S. National Rounds of the world’s largest moot court competition, winning three out of their four rounds and finishing in the top third of nearly 100 competing law schools. The team outranked dozens of U.S. law schools, including Yale Law School and Georgetown Law.
The team competed in Atlanta, Georgia, from March 4 through March 8, where more than 330 law students participated in the U.S. National Rounds. Rutgers Law students Simone Allison ’27 and Dina Sayedahmed ’26 argued on behalf of the Applicant, the fictional State of Alekostria, and Gabriela Abreu ’26 and Ian Silverstein ’27 represented the Respondent, the fictional State of Restovia. The team was coached by Professors William E. Schroeder and Jorge Contesse, who joined the students in Atlanta for this year’s competition.
Now in its 67th year, the Jessup Competition is the world’s oldest and largest moot court competition, drawing participation from roughly 700 law schools across more than 100 countries. The competition simulates proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
This year’s problem raised complex questions of international law, including Indigenous rights to land and natural resources and the scope of sovereign immunity. Competitors were required to analyze the dispute through a range of international legal authorities, including international treaties, judicial decisions, customary international law, and general principles of law.
The team argued four rounds before panels of judges, presenting oral arguments for both sides of the dispute. Judges challenged competitors with probing questions throughout the proceedings, closely mirroring the dynamics of a hearing before the International Court of Justice. The judging panels included international law scholars and practitioners from around the world.
Preparation for the competition began in the summer of 2025. Team members researched international law issues and drafted detailed written memorials — equivalent to appellate briefs — which were submitted to the mock ICJ in January 2026. In the months leading up to the competition, the team held weekly practices and intensive mooting sessions to refine their arguments and advocacy and worked with Rutgers Law alumni in Newark and former Jessup team participants. The team also benefited from generous support from the Rutgers Law Newark Alumni Association, law firms including Lowenstein Sandler, and the Lawrence Fund for the Rutgers Center for Transnational Law, a multi-year grant from Jeffrey F. Lawrence ’77 to support the Center’s work.
Applications for the 2027 Rutgers-Newark Jessup Team are now open. Click here for more information.