Serbia Holds Its First Moot Court Competition
The Philip C. Jessup International Competition, a 45-year-old moot court tradition observed worldwide, includes the participation of more than 2,000 law students from approximately 600 law schools. This year, for the first time, Serbian students competed with teams from up to 90 other countries, with support from USAID's Serbia Rule of Law project and additional funding from the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.
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| Participants at the moot court competition simulate the resolution of international disputes before a mock version of the International Court of Justice |
The competition is designed to simulate the resolution of international disputes before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, with teams of students preparing oral pleadings and presenting their arguments before a mock forum. Seeking to broaden practical skills in legal research, legal writing, oral advocacy, and knowledge of international law, this year's Jessup problem raised international legal issues involving the law of the sea, environmental law, and the law of state responsibility. The Serbian rounds of the moot court competition, organized by USAID implementing partner the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), featured teams from three law faculties - Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Serbia's private business law faculty – as well as the University of Nis as an observer.
U.S. Ambassador Michael C. Polt opened the Serbia rounds of the competition, which was attended by numerous representatives of the international community and Serbia's courts, who volunteered their time as coaches and judges. At an awards ceremony at the end of a full-day of the competition, USAID Mission Director Keith Simmons presented the Novi Sad Law Faculty as the winning team, along with a number of other awards, including three out of four best oralist awards to individual students from the faculty.
At the international rounds of the Jessup competition, held in Washington, DC, in late March-early April, the newcomer Novi Sad team excelled among its peers, placing 36 out of 105 teams, with three wins and only one loss.
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