Students Prepare for Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

Preparations are underway for the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and Lara do Valle Pereira Esteves ’25 is looking forward to participating again. She first competed in the international competition when she was studying law in Brazil.  

“Over three years, I competed in Jessup, and my team won the Brazilian National Championship in 2020,” she said. “That same year, I was honored to be elected as a Student Director on the Board of the International Law Students Association (ILSA), which oversees the competition.” 

When she began her studies at Moritz in 2022, Esteves knew she wanted to compete at Jessup again with a team from Ohio State. She continued her involvement with moot court activities, serving as Justice for the 1L Moot Court Competition, and, currently, as a Justice for Advocacy Skills.  

According to the ILSA, Jessup is the world's largest moot court competition. It includes 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.  

“It addresses pressing questions of international law and provides top law students from around the world the opportunity to engage in intellectual and multicultural exchanges,” said Esteves. “My favorite aspect is the challenge of crafting complex legal arguments and presenting them before a panel of respected legal scholars and practitioners.” 

The team for this year’s Jessup includes Esteves, Christiana Lafferty ‘25, Tristan Monteith '25, and Felicity Risca ’26. As they look ahead to the competition, Esteves says the team’s ability to work together will be crucial. 

“Success in moot court relies on a collaborative effort,” she said. “Each team member brings unique skills and perspectives, and knowing how to leverage these effectively is key.” 

The team is looking for support with travel to the first round of competition. If you would like to assist, gifts can be made to the Larry Herman Fund (314998). Please use this link and note it is for “Jessup Competition.”