A team made up of students from the Faculty of Law at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, won the national phase of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in its 2025 edition, after defeating the representatives from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in the final round. For the fifteenth consecutive year, Cuatrecasas hosted the national rounds of this prestigious competition, which took place from February 18th to 20th at Cuatrecasas’ office in Madrid.

The judging panels, consisting of lawyers from the firm, external professionals with expertise in International Law, academics, university professors, former Jessup participants, and officials from international organizations, after the necessary deliberations, decided that the oralists from the University Pompeu Fabra team, consisting of Ela Arenas, Tristán Dorda, and Bernat Valero (from the Double Degree: Bachelor of Laws KCL + degree in Law UPF) would represent Spain in the International Rounds in Washington, D.C. The team also counted on the support of Conor Mackay (Double Degree: Bachelor of Laws KCL + degree in Law UPF) and Mariona Blanch (degree in Law from UPF, and degree in International Relations from UOC) during the national rounds.

This recognition is a result of the work carried out in collaboration with their head coach, Melissa Bell Romero (Ph.D. Candidate and Lecturer at UPF), and with support of assistant coaches Carlo Carvajal (Ph.D. Candidate and Lecturer at UPF) and Diego Sánchez (UPF-BSM alumnus and Spanish Jessup Champion in 2022). 

Ela Arenas, representative of the winning team, stressed: "Participating in the national rounds has been very stimulating and has exceeded our expectations. We did not think it would be such an enriching experience. The questions asked by the judges, some from the USA, have been quite a challenge for us."

Head coach Melissa Bell Romero said: "This win is very exciting for the whole team, it is a reflection of the eight months we have been working. The Jessup is a very demanding competition and requires a great effort from the students. It is also a very enriching competition that the students always enjoy very much. I am very proud of the work that the team has accomplished and I am especially excited to continue preparing them this month for the trip to Washington in April. I know it will be an unforgettable experience!"

UPF wins the local phase, with the participation of nine universities from Spain

Over three intense days, 44 students from nine Spanish universities (ESADE, Instituto de Empresa, Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Universidad de Deusto, Universidad de Lleida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Universidad de Salamanca), had the chance to put into practice skills that will prove most relevant in their professional careers as lawyers, ranging from oral skills and teamwork to rigorous legal research, among others.

This year, the national phase of the competition focused on ‘The case concerning the Naegea sea’, a dispute in which, among other issues, the rights and obligations of other members of the international community were addressed when two individuals claim to be the legitimate president of a state, or the legal consequences of the retreat of coastal lines for the maritime zones of coastal states.

Furthermore, by participating in Jessup, students at the University have their final degree project (TFG) validated, as the time dedicated to participating and preparing for this legal competition represents an equal or greater workload.

An international competition to promote skills and values ​​within the legal world

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court, first held in 1960, is an international competition with participation from students from over 700 law schools across more than 100 countries. The teams from each country that qualify for the final will compete for the top spot in the international rounds held in Washington D.C. from March 29 to April 5, 2025.

The competition involves simulating a legal dispute between two fictitious states over a current legal issue before the International Court of Justice, the judicial body of the United Nations. Teams, in an initial written phase, prepare memorials, arguing alternately the position of the applicant and the respondent. They then defend their position during oral rounds, against competing teams, before three judges, recognised legal experts, and professionals in international law.

This type of innovative activity allows students to delve deeper into legal matters in a practical and real-world way, beyond the teachings given within the law school. Some of the skills and values that the competition aims to cultivate, which are necessary to progress in the legal world, include reasoning, civility, empathy, commitment, and respect for others.