National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition held at the Supreme Court

From January 30 to February 1, 2026, the premises of the Commercial Cassation Court within the Supreme Court hosted the 30th National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition – the world’s largest student moot court competition in public international law. The event brought together student teams from leading Ukrainian higher legal education institutions and served as a key stage in selecting the teams that will represent Ukraine at the International Rounds in the United States.

The opening ceremony of the National Rounds was launched by Larysa Rohach, President of the Commercial Cassation Court within the Supreme Court. She welcomed the participants and emphasized that it is an honor for the court to host the National Rounds of the world’s largest student competition in public international law. The President of the SC CommCC highlighted the international scale of the Jessup, which unites hundreds of law schools from more than one hundred countries and provides students with a unique experience of simulating proceedings before the International Court of Justice.

Larysa Rohach stressed the symbolic significance of holding the competition in Ukraine as a manifestation of the resilience and steadfastness of the Ukrainian legal and academic community. She noted that Jessup is not merely a competition, but also a platform for developing critical thinking, a culture of legal debate, argumentation skills, teamwork, mutual respect, and drew particular attention to the special role of public international law for Ukraine in the current circumstances.

“The holding of the National Rounds carries important symbolic meaning as a space for the professional development of young lawyers and for dialogue between the judiciary and the academic community,” the court president emphasized.

Larysa Rohach pointed out that commercial courts have repeatedly served as venues for such competitions – places where law is implemented in practice and theoretical knowledge is transformed into real professional experience. Reflecting on her own professional journey, she shared personal observations regarding the transformation of the judicial system over recent decades, particularly in connection with the development of digital technologies and the digitization of processes, including amid professional discussions and legislative initiatives concerning the use of artificial intelligence in dispute resolution. Larysa Rohach stressed that, despite these changes, the need for professional, honest, and integrity-driven judges remains constant, and she encouraged the students to consider judicial activity as one of the possible directions for their future professional realization.

At the same time, the holding of the National Rounds in 2026 coincided with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of commercial (arbitration) courts in Ukraine. Larysa Rohach drew attention to this milestone, noting that in commemoration of the anniversary, the Commercial Cassation Court within the Supreme Court will organize a series of events, with plans to involve representatives of the student community as future legal professionals. In particular, a competition of creative works (essays) will be initiated, in which young lawyers will have the opportunity to express their own vision of the tasks and principles of administering justice in commercial courts, the role of the judiciary, the disclosure of such concepts as corporate law, as well as fundamental categories – integrity and equality of parties in the judicial process.

In conclusion, the President of the SC CommCC expressed gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the organizers, partners of the event, and volunteers for making it possible to hold the competition and for their assistance in its organization even in such challenging times.

Over the course of several days, the participants took part in preliminary, semi-final, and final oral rounds, simulating proceedings before the International Court of Justice and presenting the positions of the parties in a dispute under public international law. They demonstrated deep knowledge, analytical skills, and the ability to convincingly defend legal positions. Five student teams from Ukrainian higher legal education institutions participated in the National Rounds. Following the results of the National Rounds, the winning team and the finalist team earned the right to represent Ukraine at the International Rounds of the Jessup Competition, which will take place in Washington, D.C. (United States).

During the closing ceremony of the National Rounds, Rasim Babanly, Acting Head of the Supreme Court Administration, delivered an address. He highlighted the importance of Ukraine’s active participation in Jessup as a contributor to the international legal dialogue. In the context of contemporary challenges in international law, the Acting Head of the SC Administration noted that, despite the crisis of trust in international mechanisms, there is no alternative to law as a system of rules. Referring to the ideas of philosopher Thomas Hobbes, he outlined two possible paths for the world’s development – the path of “war of all against all” and the path of life governed by rules and legal order. “International law will endure, and the world will inevitably move toward living by rules and strengthening international legal mechanisms,” Rasim Babanly emphasized.

Addressing the students, the Acting Head of the Supreme Court Administration emphasized the key qualities of future lawyers: value-orientation, professionalism, and the aspiration to change the world for the better. He commended the high level of preparation demonstrated by the participants, their composure, and their ability to handle complex questions, while also expressing the Supreme Court’s readiness to continue supporting young legal professionals in the future. In conclusion, Rasim Babanly thanked the competition participants, the event organizers, and, in particular, the staff of the Commercial Cassation Court within the Supreme Court who ensured the successful conduct of the National Rounds.

The hosting of the Jessup National Rounds at the SC CommCC became a significant event for the Ukrainian legal community, reaffirming the openness of the judicial institution to cooperation with the academic environment and its support for future professionals who will represent Ukraine on the international legal stage.­­ ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

The event was organized by the Public Organization “Jessup Ukraine” in cooperation with the EU Project Pravo-Justice and other co-organizers who expressed their willingness to support the national rounds.