BY EDISON MARTE SICAD
“But a goal unachieved is a goal yet to be achieved. We’ll get that world championship.” – Marco G. Dava
ALLOW me to share this article by Mr. Marco G. Dava, a third year Juris Doctor student of the University of San Agustin College of Law and one of the members or mooters of the University’s (Moot Court) Jessup Team that represented the Philippines in the Global Rounds of Jessup, the oldest, largest, and most prestigious Moot Court Competition in the world participated by over 600 teams this year. The international rounds were held last March 29 to April 5, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, D.C.
May this article inspire us to also aim for excellence with resilience and steadfast faith.
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White & Case International Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2025)
By Marco G. Dava
My goal was to win the Jessup World Championship.
I believed in the team. And many people believed in us — from families and friends back home, to the very competitors we faced from top universities & law schools around the world and the numerous international law experts who witnessed & judged our rounds. While we ended our run at the Round of 32 (among over 690 teams worldwide) and despite falling short of the goal, it bears emphasizing that this is the caliber and quality of training that one small provincial law school in the Philippines is capable of having — competitively and competently world-class.
The University of San Agustin College of Law has, through the years, consistently broken glass ceilings in moot court competitions. Despite its limited population of mooters, champions have been produced in every competition the college has joined. Now, contrary to what some might say, mooting is not and never will be an obstacle to a law student’s academics. Or at least, it doesn’t have to be. Mooting is a discipline integral to both legal education and the legal profession, with skills on logical reasoning, research and writing, and oral advocacy in the limelight. So, if you ever find yourself interested in a law school experience that is able to put a premium on these skills, enrol at the University of San Agustin COL, and join The Parliament.
I can only hope that more and more people become aware of what we do in moot court, discover how it works, and figure out why it matters. This starts, of course, with the support for and recognition of the craft.
The international community has heard of our university. We came close in last year’s uncharted waters with a Top 48 finish. Even closer this year as a Round of 32 qualifier and with an Alona Evans Award for having the 13th Best Combined Memorial Scores in the world, from a pool of 691 teams.
But a goal unachieved is a goal yet to be achieved. We’ll get that world championship.
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Founded in 1959, the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, commonly called the Jessup, is an international advocacy competition in which law students present oral and written pleadings before a simulated International Court of Justice. Administered by the International Law Students Association (ILSA) in 100 countries, the Jessup is the largest moot court competition in the world with more than 3,000 students from nearly 700 universities competing annually (whitecase.com)./PN
