AUS students named Jessup moot court champions for the sixth-time

For the sixth time in a row, an American University of Sharjah (AUS) team was selected to internationally represent the university and the UAE after the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (Jessup) national rounds held recently at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts.

"I think this competition teaches our students the importance of hard work, punctual performance of goals and attention to detail," said Dr. Kevin Gray, Assistant Professor of International Studies and moot court coach at AUS.

Dr. Gray also commended the department's efforts for continuously supporting participation in this unique competition. "The Department of International Studies has run a highly successful moot court program for the last six years. AUS Jessup teams have either been the national champion, or one of the national representatives, for those years, and have represented the UAE at the largest international moot court competition in the world," he said.

Now in its 56th year, Jessup is the world's largest moot competition, attracting over 700 law schools from all over the world, with students preparing written memorials for a fictitious case before the International Court of Justice, and then presenting them before a panel of judges. The winning AUS team is currently representing the university and the UAE in the final international round in Washington, DC.

Mennat Al Khalil, a member of the team and an AUS international studies student, shared the reasons why she decided to audition for this year's moot court team. "I saw it as a great opportunity to continue my commitment to studying international law and prepare myself for a career in law and future leadership roles. I am extremely thankful to AUS and Dr. Kevin Gray for presenting me with this great experience and opportunity. Representing AUS and the UAE in Washington, DC, is an honor," said Al Khalil.

Moot court is offered as regular 3-credit course each fall. Though it has unusual course timings and requires a lot of hard work, participants said its benefits outweigh the costs. "I would definitely recommend this course to students interested in pursuing a future career in law. Joining AUS's moot court team will not only add to your skills in debating, advocacy, legal research and writing, but will also teach you the ability to strike a balance between teamwork and patience," remarked Al Khalil.