The 23rd edition of John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition

Preface

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organisation dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO Agreements, negotiated and signed by the majority of the world’s trading nations and ratified by their parliaments. The WTO Agreements cover nearly 98 % of all global trade. The goal of the WTO is to develop trade rules in order to help Members’ producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business in a facilitated way.

The European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) is the world's largest independent, non-profit, non-political association run by and for law students and young lawyers. The ELSA Vision is: "A just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity." Contributing to legal education and promoting Human Rights awareness are among the central aims of the association. Through various academically focused projects and events, ELSA provides opportunities for law students and young lawyers to apply theory in practice and to learn about other legal systems. The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is the annually held international moot court competition in WTO law owned by ELSA.

In view of these goals, ELSA International seeks to combine its role in ongoing action to contribute to Clinical Legal Education globally and the need to support and enhance the development of trade between nations. That is why since 2001, ELSA annually organises the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition (formerly known as the ELSA Moot Court Competition on WTO Law). This Competition seeks to educate law students from all over the world to develop their legal and oral presentation skills and to educate the new generation of lawyers in the field of international trade law. This event brings together the brightest students from four corners of the world, WTO experts from legal academia, the WTO Secretariat and international trade law practitioners.

CHARACTERISTICS

• WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT SYSTEM - The Competition is a simulated hearing of the WTO dispute settlement system. The teams prepare and analyse a fictive case and present their arguments both for the Complainant and the Respondent in front of a Panel which consists of WTO and trade law experts.
• FOR STUDENTS - Teams consisting of 2 – 4 law students are eligible to participate.
• AIM - The aim is to enhance knowledge of international trade law and WTO dispute settlement procedures as well as to enhance the capacity for meaningful engagement in multilateral trade in the long term.

SCOPE

• INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT - Participants have the opportunity to make contacts with people from all around the world. The Competition is global and the participants usually come from more than 35 different countries.
• NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES - The competition provides you with a unique chance to meet face to face top trade law experts and WTO professionals.
• LANGUAGE - The Competition is held entirely in English.

ACADEMIC VALUE

• SKILLS TRAINING - Participating in the competition will provide you with professional experience already during your studies. This is of extreme importance upon entering professional life. Participants have a higher chance to become leading trade lawyers than their peers.
• FUTURE CAREER - This competition opens doors to a future career in trade law. Our sponsors are among the top law firms in the world.
• WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION - The competition receives technical support from the WTO. 

STRUCTURE

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS

Interested students from all over the world are sending in their written memorandum based on a fictitious case. Registered teams have to send one Written Submission for the Complainant and one Written Submission for the Respondent (two separate Written Submissions in total). Each Submission shall not exceed 35 pages, not including the cover page. Regardless the fact, whether a team is preparing to compete in the International Written Round or they are sending their Written Submissions for scoring before the Regional Round, it is of crucial importance to bear in mind the role of the Written Submissions in the whole competition. In the preliminary rounds, the teams will be ranked according to the total score of their oral pleadings (60 %) and on the evaluations of their Written Submissions (40%).

REGIONAL ROUNDS

Afterwards, all the teams will have the opportunity to present their oral submissions both for the Complainant and the Respondent to a Panel at a Regional Round. The Panel consists of WTO professionals and trade law experts. The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is made up of two European Regional Rounds, two Regional Round for Asia-Pacific, an All American Regional Round and one Regional Round for Africa. The Regional Rounds shall have at least three stages: Preliminary Rounds, Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.

FINAL ORAL ROUND

The best 24 teams from all over the world are qualified to participate in the Final Oral Round that takes place at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Competition is growing every single year, going beyond our wildest expectations. ELSA and the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition supporters are working continuously on its further expansion. The competition has strong, long term financial contributors and a lot of academic support from the World Trade Organization itself.

TIMELINE