Edinburgh Law School’s Jessup team excels in international rounds
Thu 16 May 2024
The University of Edinburgh’s team has reached truly impressive levels of success in this year’s Philip C. Jessup International Law competition. After qualifying for the International Rounds in February, the team went on to compete in the International Rounds in Washington, DC in April, one of only 150 teams out of the more than 700 that participated this year.
During the preliminary rounds, the team went against the Bangladeshi and Zambian national champions, beating both with a unanimous 3-judge bench finding in their favour. Then, during the advanced rounds, the team beat the Filipino national champions, moving on to the rounds of top 32 and finally, the round of top 16. As octo-finalists, the team fared better than long-time participants and previous Jessup champions.
An additional success was the performance of the team’s oralists. Both Ms Yoanna Gammoh and Mr Colin Cherian were in the top ten oralists in the National Rounds in February, and Ms Margaret Driscoll received an award as eleventh best oralist in the International Rounds out of a pool of over 500 competitors. These performances were possible thanks to the indispensable support offered by the team’s counsels, Ms Luisa Hofmann and Mr Frankie Hinks.
Commenting on the team’s performance, the coaches, Ms Matilde Masetti Placci and Mr Harikrishna Palaniappan, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the team’s result. Given that this is the first time the University has participated in the International Rounds, as well as the very impressive global competition, this was an incredible feat. This experience has turned them into even more sophisticated and engaged international lawyers. Looking forward, this also shows the potential a university such as ours has to make an impact in the world of international mooting.”
Are you interested in joining Edinburgh Law School’s Jessup team?
The University hopes to continue the team’s wonderful legacy in future years. Should any penultimate- or final-year undergraduate students be interested in joining next year’s Jessup team, please direct your enquiries to Ms Matilde Masetti Placci at m.masetti-placci@sms.ed.ac.uk.
The Jessup team is also looking to appoint a new coach for 2025-2026. Applicants should have experience with the Jessup, either as a competitor or coach, and they should have experience with mooting or other forms of oral advocacy. For more information on application requirements and how to apply, please email Ms Matilde Masetti Placci at m.masetti-placci@sms.ed.ac.uk.