Team Advances to Final Round in International Competition for First Time in Five Years
AUSTIN, Texas – At the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition championship, held March 29-April 5 in Washington, D.C., UT Law advanced to the final round for the first time in five years, along with only three other U.S. teams (Harvard, Columbia, Michigan). UT was also recognized for the second best brief in the world and top brief in the U.S. In overall standing, they were 13th out of more than 80 teams competing at this level.
Steven Ratner, the Albert Sidney Burleson Professor in Law, attended the team's last argument. "This is by far the best one of our teams has done in recent memory. They were up against the world's top law schools and their hard work paid off," he said. "UT should be very proud." Professors Ratner, Francesco Francioni, and Sarah Cleveland mooted the team. Coach Kris Munson, a former member of the team and 2002 graduate of UT Law, said, "It never ceases to amaze me that the students can achieve so much in their spare time. This competition requires a lot of thought and research, and the fact that they add that all that work onto their already hectic schedules makes their success all the more impressive. Competing in Jessup is like taking an extra class in public international law."
The Jessup Competition, which is administered by the International Law Students Association (ILSA), is widely recognized as the largest, most prestigious international law moot court competition in the world.
Team members included Debra Bryant, Ben Ellison, Loretta Gieske, Tanya Karimi and Shane Mecham.
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