Meet SMU Law School, winners of 2025 Jessup Int'l Law Moot Court Competition

A group of five final-year undergraduates from the Yong Pung How School of Law at Singapore Management University (SMU) has made history by winning the 2025 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The finals were held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C., marking a significant milestone for SMU and the nation.

Renowned as the world’s most prestigious moot court competition, the Jessup moot challenges law students globally to grapple with complex issues in international law. This year saw record-breaking participation, with 805 teams from 104 jurisdictions competing—making SMU’s victory all the more remarkable.

The championship-winning team consisted of Lovein Sui, Elizabeth Ho, Genieve Wu, Raelee Toh, and Erica Wee—all LLB students in their final year. Erica also earned individual distinction as the competition’s Best Oralist and placed third in the preliminary round rankings. The team was guided by Assistant Professor Nicholas Liu (SMU JD, Class of 2015) and Fu Qiyuan (JD, Year 2).

This victory is not only SMU's first Jessup title but also marks the fifth time a Singaporean university has claimed the global championship—and the first in nearly a quarter-century. SMU had previously reached the final round three times (2013, 2014, and 2022), finishing as runner-up on each occasion.

The Jessup moot simulates a case before the International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ principal judicial organ. Each law school enters one team to present legal arguments—both written and oral—on fictional disputes reflecting real-world international legal challenges. This year’s case centered on tensions between two states within a regional bloc, involving issues such as jurisdiction, accountability for enforced disappearances, exclusive economic zone boundaries, and rival claims to state representation.

SMU advanced to the final after competing in a tough semi-final round alongside teams from Australia, India, and Ukraine. In a closely fought final against the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, SMU emerged as the world champion. The final panel featured esteemed judges from the International Court of Justice: Joan Donoghue, Juan Manuel Gomez Robledo, and Georg Nolte.

Associate Professor Chen Siyuan, Director of SMU’s Ian R. Taylor International Moots Programme, which oversees the university’s mooting excellence, celebrated the team’s triumph: “Bringing the cup back to Singapore after 24 years is an incredible achievement. This group of talented and resilient young women has been training and competing since 2022. I’m especially proud to see Nicholas—who once competed in the Jessup as a student—now lead a team to victory as a coach.”

Team captain Genieve Wu expressed heartfelt appreciation: “We’re immensely thankful to our seniors and alumni who supported us from the very beginning. Special thanks go to our coach, Nicholas, whose passion for mooting continues to inspire us all.”

A Track Record of Mooting Excellence

SMU’s strength in international mooting is underpinned by the Ian R. Taylor International Moots Programme, which has helped place the university among the global elite in this field. YPHSL is consistently ranked among the world’s top three law schools for international moots by the Nica.team Law School Ranking.

Beyond the Jessup, SMU’s law students have excelled in numerous prestigious competitions such as the ICC Moot in The Hague, the Price Media Law Moot in Oxford, the Vis East Arbitration Moot in Vienna, and the Frankfurt Investment Moot. In March 2025, SMU also claimed the top prize at the 23rd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot in Hong Kong.

In 2024 alone, SMU earned world championship titles in the ICC Moot, the Refugee Migration Moot, and the Fletcher International Moot. Teams also reached the finals in the Price, Stetson, and Mandela moots, and secured their first win in the Lachs Space Law Moot.

Through consistent success on the global stage, SMU continues to solidify its reputation as a powerhouse in international legal advocacy—and with this latest Jessup victory, the university and its students have once again proven they are among the very best in the world.