Pompeu Fabra University is looking for students to form the new team that will represent it in the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, the most prestigious legal simulation in the world, in which UPF has participated consecutively for 8 years, obtaining successful results at both national and international levels, and being crowned national champion in the 2022 and 2025 editions.

In the 2025 edition, the UPF team represented Spain for the first time in Washington D.C., and the participants ranked among the best oralists in the world.

 

Why should you participate? Participating in the Moot offers the possibility of developing legal research and analysis skills, as well as the opportunity to improve in oratory and legal discourse.

In addition to the learning and experience, participating in this activity validates the Bachelor's Thesis (TFG) or the Master's Thesis (TFM, only in the case of the University Master's Degree in Law of the UPF-BSM) and is a great opportunity to add a differentiating factor to your CV, making it very attractive to major law firms, both national and international.

The competition is held entirely in English, and this year it is expected to take place IN PERSON in Barcelona. The team coach is José Manuel Aznar.

Law students from 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th year (Double Degree) and Master's students can participate.

This year's competition will address:

  1. Who has the right to intervene in proceedings before the International Court of Justice;
  2. On the rights of indigenous peoples in relation to natural resources found in their territory;
  3. On the “general principles of law recognized by civilized nations”; and
  4. When is a State immune from domestic proceedings in another State when it has caused economic damage to the citizens of that State.

To register, students must send an email to [email protected], attaching an updated CV in English; a cover letter in English; their academic transcript; and accreditation of English level B2 or higher, if available, although this is not an eliminatory criterion. REGISTRATION FOR JESSUP 2026 IS NOW CLOSED. If selected, personal interviews will be held with students between May 21st and 23rd.

Information about the competition can be found at the website of the International Law Students Association.

More information about the Jessup 2026 (Spanish version)

 

Public International Law professor Miguel Ángel Elizalde was Jessup's tutor in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the competition.

The team that represented Pompeu Fabra University in the 2017-2018 academic year was formed by Joaquim Candel, Marta Ribert, Mónica Martells (group representative), Pedro Miguel Santos and Clara Cambra.

The members of the UPF team at the JESSUP competition had been working since May of last year in preparation. Initially, they worked on basic concepts of international law. Then, in September, the case was published and they prepared a memorial that was presented at the beginning of January of this year. From that moment until the end of February, when the competition took place, they were preparing for the oral phase. UPF came in third place.