A team of Cooley Law School students competed in February against 36 other U.S. law school teams at the West Regional of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Portland, Oregon. On the strength of a 3-1 record in the preliminary oral argument rounds, the team qualified for the advanced rounds, earning a top 11 ranking at the competition.
The Cooley team also earned a top ten award for the quality of its written pleadings, taking home the award for seventh best Memorials.
The Jessup competition simulates a fictional case before the International Court of Justice on cutting edge issues of international law. This year’s Jessup problem involved the right of consular access for detained individuals, citizenship and the problem of statelessness, and the authority of the United Nations Security Council.
Cooley’s team included Adriana Burga, Nicholas Davis, Carter Lewis, Norelle Miranda, and Frances Silney-Bah. The team was coached by Cooley Law School Professors Brad Charles and Dave Finnegan.
“The team performed at an elite level,” said Professor Finnegan, who is a coach for the team. “I am particularly proud of the award the team received for their written memorials, reflecting the strength of their legal research and writing skills.”
The Jessup competition is the largest inter-school moot court competition in the world. This year, around 700 law schools in 100 countries and territories participated in the competition. The International Law Students Association administers the Jessup competition each year.
Cooley Law School’s International Moot Court team recently advanced to the octa-final round after compiling a 3-1 record in the preliminary rounds at the Jessup International Law Moot Court competition held in Portland, Oregon. Cooley Law School’s team included (L-R) Carter Lewis, Frances Silney-Bah, Norelle Miranda, Adriana Burga and Nicholas Davis.