From February 17 to 19, 2024, the China Regional Selection Competition for the 22nd Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition was held at Renmin University of China. This year, a record 65 universities from mainland China participated in the competition. The team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Koguan Law School won the second place national award and had three team members recognized as Best Oralists.

The Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the largest and oldest moot court competition in the world, often referred to as the "Olympics of International Law." It aims to promote the study and research of public international law worldwide by simulating a court case before the International Court of Justice, enhancing students' knowledge and practical skills in international law. Since its inception in 1959, the competition has attracted over 600 universities from more than 100 countries each year.

This year's case topics included public interest litigation, statelessness, the right to nationality, the right to political expression, and the jurisdiction of the United Nations Security Council in the peaceful resolution of disputes. Since the release of the case topics in September 2023, the team members have worked diligently, collaboratively, and with perseverance to prepare for the competition. They crafted well-structured, comprehensive, and detailed written submissions and demonstrated their solid legal foundation, rigorous logical thinking, and excellent English skills in the preliminary rounds, earning praise from the judges. Ultimately, the Koguan Law School team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University won the second place national award, with team members Xu Shuang, Hu Peiyao, and Zhang Yueling receiving Best Oralist awards (ranking 4th, 6th, and 16th, respectively).

This year's team was coached by Professor Liu Dan from Koguan Law School, with Oxford University PhD student Cao Yue serving as assistant coach. The team members included Li Fangying (undergraduate, class of 2021), Zhang Xinyue (undergraduate, class of 2021), Hu Peiyao (undergraduate, class of 2022), Zhang Yueling (undergraduate, class of 2022), and Xu Shuang (law major, class of 2023), supported by research assistants Chen Cheng (undergraduate, class of 2020), Yuan Kexin (undergraduate, class of 2022), Dai Jiayun (undergraduate, class of 2022), and Hou Beiang (law master's student, class of 2023).

Since its establishment in 2004, the Koguan Law School Jessup Moot Court team has maintained a strong upward trajectory, winning national first prizes in 2019, 2021, and 2022, including the top overall score in 2022. This year, the team continued its tradition of excellence, earning three Best Oralist awards, laying a solid foundation for future progress. The team was formed in May 2023, and under the guidance of Professor Liu Dan and assistant coach Cao Yue, with full support from former team members Lu Wenyi and Deng Yue, and the meticulous help from other students like Zeng Xiaoya, they systematically completed summer training, case analysis, legal research, group discussions, writing submissions, mock trials, and the official competition. The team members maintained high enthusiasm, diligently studying international law issues, overcoming various challenges, and effectively managing their academic, preparation, campus activities, and personal lives, showcasing excellent time management and multitasking abilities.

After the competition, team captain Li Fangying remarked, "Competing offline with other excellent teams, what moves a mooter the most is the sincerity of everyone involved. We have such a tacit understanding in seriously discussing distant issues and such unanimous confidence in our team's achievements. This interaction instantly captures the significance of being a mooter—not related to status or benefits, but simply leading you to like-minded people and showing you a broader world." Chen Cheng, who participated in three consecutive competitions, reflected, "In the past four years, Jessup has been the biggest aid to my legal studies. We spent seven months persistently researching a cutting-edge legal issue and transforming our findings into text. This may have been my closest encounter with law during my undergraduate years. The teammates who worked alongside me and the days of sharing joys and sorrows have become my most precious memories. As I approach graduation, I am most grateful for participating in Jessup."

In recent years, China has played an increasingly important role on the international stage. Understanding, adhering to, and using international law to safeguard national interests has become a hot topic. Koguan Law School has always emphasized the cultivation of international legal talents and legal practice education. Koguan students have the responsibility and ability to demonstrate their international vision and legal thinking on the world stage. In the future, the Koguan Jessup team will continue to learn from and support each other, persist in their efforts, inherit and innovate, striving for further breakthroughs in performance, and showcasing the excellence of Koguan students on higher and broader stages.