AUPP / UArizona Law Students Participated in the National Competition Round of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition

Five students from the American University of Phnom Penh, including four students from the The University of Arizona Dual Degree Law Program participated in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court competition on March 12th, 2022. 

The Jessup competition is an annual event run by the International Law Students Association (ILSA). It is considered to be the world’s largest moot court competition with participants from over 600 law schools from around the world. 

Jessup teams first take part in the National Rounds Competition, to then advance on to the 2022 White & Case International Rounds. Participants engage in a simulation of fictional disputes between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations, where they prepare oral and written pleadings arguing both the applicant and respondent positions of the case.

The Jessup 2022 Competition addressed the topics of human rights on the Internet, data theft, the secession of part of a nation's territory, and foreign election interference. 

The AUPP team of Law students included Chan Rithy, DY Bosolida, Lean Pheanuraingsey, Samreth Haripong, and Ros Sophearathna and were mentored by Dr. Keo Sothie and advisors Kouch Oudomvichea and Leng Malen.

The team argued on a range of complex issues within the international scope of law including the admissibility of illegally-obtained evidence, election interference, human rights, and data theft. They were judged by a panel of an elite corps of volunteer attorneys who carefully evaluated each of their written and oral pleadings.

The American University of Phnom Penh and the University of Arizona would like to congratulate these students for all their hard work, commitment and dedication. They competed with sincerity and resilience and reached the final round of their first-ever Jessup journey. 

ISLA is a non-profit association of students and lawyers who are dedicated to the promotion of international law, providing students with opportunities to study, research, and network in the international legal arena. The organization's activities include academic conferences, publications, the global coordination of student organizations, and the administration of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Learn more about our Dual Degree Law Programs here

Background for this article was originally published on the AUPP website.