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What is the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition (JHJMCC)?

Structure of the Competition

The Written Round

The Regional Rounds

Final Oral Round

Organisational Responsibilities

Cooperation between Regional Round Organisers and ELSA International

Responsibilities of ELSA International

Responsibilities of the Regional Round Organisers

Fundraising

External Relations

What is the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition (JHJMCC)?

The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is a Flagship Project of ELSA which consists of a simulation a fictitious case of the World Trade Organization dispute settlement system.

The competition is named in honour of John Howard Jackson, a pioneer of international trade and economic law who is considered one of the chief architects of the multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organisation.

Further information on the JHJMCC in general can be found in the relevant section on the Officers' Portal. Information about the current round of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition, such as the case, the timeline, and the rulebook can be found on the website: johnhjacksonmoot.elsa.org.

Structure of the Competition

The Written Round

The teams of two to four students taking part in the competition have, depending on the deadline, between four and five months to draft two written submissions, one for each side of the dispute (Complainant and Respondent).

Once drafted, and edited following the strict rules of the competition, they need to submit these documents as electronic copies for them to be scored by the panelists of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition.

Important: This round is not eliminatory, and all the teams submitting the written submissions will take part in the Regional Rounds. There, the scores of the written submissions will be added to the scores they will receive in their pleading.

The Regional Rounds

All the teams that submitted a Written Submission will proceed to one of the 6 Regional Oral Rounds, depending on their location. They will there plead against each other.

The six rounds are:

First and Second European Regional Rounds (including all the countries where an ELSA group is present)
East Asia & Oceania Regional Round
West & South Asia Regional Round
All American Regional Round
African Regional Round

All Regional Rounds include Preliminary Rounds, Semi-Finals, and a Grand Final. Depending on the number of participating Teams, the Regional Round Organisers, in cooperation with ELSA International, may decide to introduce additional elimination rounds, such as Quarter-Finals. Qualification for the Final Oral Round is achieved through participation in a Regional Round.

Final Oral Round

The 24 best teams of the Regional Rounds gather in Geneva, at the WTO Headquarters, where the Final Oral Round of the competition takes place at the end of June.

The Final Oral Round is structured in the same way as the regional rounds, with preliminary sessions and advanced sessions.

Organisational Responsibilities

Cooperation between Regional Round Organisers and ELSA International

To apply for hosting a Regional Round of the JHJMCC, Groups are required to complete the application form provided by ELSA International and submit the supporting documentation, including a draft agenda, a draft budget, a motivation letter, and a draft organisational timeline.

When appointing a Regional Round Organiser, ELSA International will take into consideration a range of factors, including the financial situation of the applicant National or Local Group; the quality, availability, and accessibility of the proposed venues; the level of support provided by the respective National Group if the applicant is a Local Group; and the number of international or other major events hosted by the applicant that could potentially affect the quality of the Regional Round.

Furthermore, ELSA International shall assess the applicant’s experience in organising international or large-scale national events, particularly moot court competitions, as well as the availability and commitment of prospective members of the Organising Committee and timekeepers. The availability and quality of prospective panellists shall also be taken into account during the selection process.

Thereafter, the Hosting Agreement is concluded between ELSA International and the Regional Round Organiser, serving as the foundation of the cooperation between the two parties.

To support the Regional Round Organisers throughout the organisational process, ELSA International provides guidance and assistance through a coaching system coordinated by the Assistants for Regional Rounds. In addition, ELSA International prepares a Regional Rounds Hosting Package, which contains all essential documents, templates, and forms required for the organisation of a Regional Round.

Responsibilities of ELSA International

ELSA International supports the Regional Round Organisers throughout the organisational process to ensure that all Regional Rounds are conducted in accordance with the standards of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition and maintain a high level of quality and consistency.

In particular, ELSA International is responsible for the overall coordination of the Competition, including maintaining the competition website, drafting and publishing the rules and the case, coordinating clarifications, appointing panellists, implementing and interpreting the Rules, providing marketing materials, organising team registration, liaising with the RROs, establishing and regulating Regional Rounds outside Europe, appointing members of the Academic Board and the RROs, approving Regional Round sponsors, overseeing the Final Oral Round, and compiling and publishing the final report of the Competition.

Responsibilities of the Regional Round Organisers

The Regional Round Organisers (RROs) are responsible for financing all aspects of the Regional Round and for ensuring its high quality, proper preparation, and effective administration. They are also required to maintain consistency in the application of the rules of the JHJMCC, provide the Vice President in charge of Competitions of the International Board of ELSA with regular updates on the progress of the organisation, and participate in the monthly online meetings organised by ELSA International.

If you need a more detailed overview of the specific responsibilities, as well as a step-by-step guide to planning a Regional Round, you will find this in the JHJMCC Regional Round Host Handbook.

Fundraising

A competition, especially the organisation of Regional Rounds, is often accompanied by significant logistical and financial challenges. Over the last years, general costs have increased considerably, making both participation in and organisation of Moot Court Competitions more difficult.

You should therefore, for example during the organisation process of a Regional Round, consider fundraising. Fundraising refers to the systematic analysis, planning, implementation, and monitoring of all activities aimed at securing the resources required by an organisation, including financial contributions, in-kind goods, and services, while ensuring the lowest possible consideration in return. As a non-profit association such as ELSA, fundraising activities may be conducted provided that all acquired resources serve and support the association’s statutory purpose.

As Moot Court Competitions require a variety of additional resources beyond monetary support, the organisation of such a competition may require venues, judges, potentially an Academic Board, merchandising, printed materials, and other forms of logistical support. While many of these resources can be obtained through direct payment, it is also possible to approach companies and service providers in order to secure such contributions without incurring financial costs.

Therefore, a well-structured approach with an organized timeline is vital for the success of the competition.

For more detailed information on those steps as well as if you want to learn more about the dos and don'ts while trying to sell your participation on a competition, please also feel free to take a look into the Handbook on Fundraising for Competitions.

External Relations

On the side of the External Relations, the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition is supported by multiple sponsors and supporters, some cooperating with ELSA on the competition for many years. These partners are divided in the following categories: