MGIMO Team Wins Russian Round of Jessup Competition

2 February 2020

February 2nd, MGIMO students won the final of the Russian round of the Philip Jessup International Law Competition, which was held, as has become a tradition, in the University’s conference hall.

The MGIMO students participating in the event were Alisa Gerasimenko, Alexandra Alekhina, Tamara Posadkova, Mikhail Abramov and Danil Shamelo.

For over two hours, the judges Peter van den Bossche (Professor of International Economic Law at the University of Bern, former member of the WTO Appellate Body), Antonios Tzanakopoulos (Associate Professor of Public International Public Law at Oxford University) and Malgos Fitzmorris (Professor of International Treaty Law, Head of the Department of International Public Law at Queen Mary University of London) quizzed the contestants, assessing their theoretical and practical understanding of International Law. The case selected this year deals with an international dispute in various judicial bodies, the responsibility of heads of state for war crimes and killer robots. MGIMO’s team was awarded the title of national champion following the discussions.

The list of the top ten speakers in the 2020 competition included Alisa Gerasimenko, Mikhail Abramov and Alexandra Alekhina.

The MGIMO participants and the management of the University extend their thanks to the faculty members who, under the leadership of Professor D. Ivanov, coached the team.

The MGIMO team will next participate in the international stage of the competition, which will take place in Washington.

Jessup is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from roughly 700 law schools in 100 countries and jurisdictions. The Competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. One team is allowed to participate from every eligible school.