Participants and judges pose for a group photo. [Photo/Shandong University]

From Feb 25 to 28, the 24th Chinese National Round of the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition was held at the China University of Political Science and Law. This year's event welcomed teams from 68 prestigious institutions, including Peking University and Tsinghua University, marking the largest turnout in the competition's history.

Representing Shandong University (SDU), two distinct delegations stood out with their performances against the nation's top legal minds.

The SDU Weihai team, made up of students from the Discipline Inspection and Supervision School, achieved a national second prize. The judges praised their rigorous legal reasoning and composed on-site responses during oral arguments, noting their precise analysis of complex public international law issues and outstanding performance in both memorial writing and oral pleading sessions.

The SDU team from the School of Law earned a national third prize, with all members competing for the first time. Their journey began with an exacting pleadings-writing phase where students honed their legal arguments through multiple drafts. During the oral rounds, the team faced incisive questioning from the bench, with fluent English proficiency and quick-witted responses. Beyond the accolades, participants emphasized that competing against elite teams offered invaluable opportunities to identify gaps and learn from diverse debating styles.

Known as the oldest, most widely-participated and most competitive international moot court competition in the world, the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition serves as a premier platform for law students to hone their advocacy skills.