UP law team bags Jessup international champions title
The global pandemic did not in any way hinder the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Jessup Team from winning the championship title, when it defeated the South African Team in the finals, in the recently held 2020 ‘After Jessup’ International Moot Court Competition.
The UP Law Jessup team was declared International Champions of the virtual tournament conducted via Zoom by the International Association of Law Schools (IALS). Other national Jessup champion teams from different regions of the world that included the Asia Pacific region, also participated in the invitational event.
Team captain Leslie Diane Torres led members
Abelardo Hernandez, Anton Miguel Sison, Therese Ravina and Bianca Isabella Ortiz and they were coached by UP Law Professor Rommel Casis who also served as moderator during the online competition. He was assisted by Lee Edson Yarcia, Gemmo Fernandez and Marianne Vitug.
Prior to the ‘After Jessup’ competition, the same team was crowned National Champions in the Philippine Qualifying Rounds of the 2020 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition after advancing undefeated. This achievement marked UP’s first three-peat Jessup National Championship.
With the cancellation of the official Jessup International Rounds, which were scheduled on 12 to 18 April 2020 in Washington, D.C. the online competition was organized by the IALS in cooperation with the International Law Students Association to provide the best qualifying Jessup teams around the world an opportunity to compete internationally amid the COVID-19 pandemic.