On Saturday 11th November 2017, at the Courts of Malta, the Għaqda Studenti tal-Liġi (GħSL) with the support of Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates hosted the finals of Destination Washington, the local rounds of the JESSUP International Moot Court. The JESSUP competition is organized annually by the International Law Students’ Association (ILSA) and held in Washington D.C. With over 600 schools participating in this prestigious international moot court, the JESSUP competition is one of the most established competitions of its kind in the world.
Winning Team of Destination Washington Announced
Acting as a bridge between the JESSUP competition and Maltese law students, GħSL, as a non-profit organization and the only faculty-based law student organization on campus, took the responsibility of organizing the structure through which the best team is selected to represent the University of Malta. GħSL is also the Maltese team’s adviser in preparation for the international competition. The finals of Destination Washington organised by the Academic Events team within GħSL, were preceded by qualifying rounds on Thursday 9th November and Friday 10th November with 8 participating teams constituted of 2 law students competing for the opportunity to represent Malta and the University of Malta in Washington D.C. in April 2018. The teams which qualified to the final round of Destination Washington on Saturday were composed of Maria DeBono and Tina Scicluna, LLM students at the University of Malta, and Jacob Portelli and Robert Napier, also LLM students. Following the competition on Saturday 11th November, Jacob Portelli and Robert Napier shall be representing Malta at the international rounds.
As regards the structure of the international competition, participating teams are required to submit both written and oral submissions and to prepare memorials for both the applicant and the respondent which they will then present orally at the international rounds in Washington D.C. The White & Case international rounds will take place from 1-7th April 2018 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. They are then to be followed by the JESSUP Cup World Championship Round on 7th April 2018. With the JESSUP Cup being the ultimate award for winning the competition, other prestigious awards may be won including the Hardy C. Dillard Award for excellence in memorial writing and the spirit of JESSUP award.
This brilliant opportunity allowing Maltese law students to put their pen to practice on the international platform in such an established and prestigious competition is being funded by Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates, a European law firm with local roots specialising in legal, tax, and corporate services and with offices in Valletta, Nicosia, London, and Zurich. The firm is funding the team registration fee, flights, and accommodation. Chetcuti Cauchi Advocates commends GħSL for their initiative spirit and wishes the winning team the best of luck in the competition ahead. It is the firm’s aim to cultivate growth amongst the next generation of lawyers and this is achieved by supporting an opportunity which truly contributes to a fulfilling university experience for these law students.
