THE Jessup Caribbean and Latin American court competition friendlies began with the Jamaica national rounds, hosted at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) main campus. Law students from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Faculty of Law and the Norman Manley Law School demonstrated exceptional advocacy skills as they argued complex international legal issues in the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition.

The competition, organised by the International Law Students Association and sponsored globally by White & Case, simulates proceedings before the International Court of Justice. Ramsay & Partners serves as the local sponsor and technology sponsor for the Jessup Caribbean and Latin America Friendlies. This is the first year that UCC has hosted the event. Marc Ramsay, managing partner at Ramsay & Partners currently serves as the national administrator for the Jessup Jamaica national rounds.

“My vision remains the same – by hosting the event at new venues, such as the UCC, we hope to encourage more universities to enter so we can continue to grow the art of mooting and legal advocacy in Jamaica and support our law students in gaining much-needed exposure and experience,” said Ramsay.

This year’s national rounds were judged by leading legal professionals, including Samantha Grant, associate at Dunn Cox; Jonathon DK Morgan, partner at Dunn Cox; Sheldon Robinson, partner at Ramsay & Partners; and Kerry-Ann Heavens, chief legal counsel & company secretary at GraceKennedy Financial Group. Also present was Jessica Zouetr, co-administrator of the Jessup Caribbean and Latin America friendlies, which takes place simultaneously with the Jamaica national rounds in an online format using the Iteneri platform, customised for the Jessup mooting format.

“All speakers demonstrated an excellent grasp of the facts and a great level of preparation,” said Kerry-Ann Heavens. “Their ability to engage with the issues and present clear, persuasive arguments was truly impressive.”

Morgan echoed this sentiment, noting the high calibre of advocacy on display.

“For a national round, this was top tier. It is the art of persuasion to be able to moot, and these teams have done that,” he said.

Mooting is a critical training ground for aspiring lawyers, bridging the gap between legal theory and practice. The Jessup competition challenges students to refine their research, analytical, and oral advocacy skills, preparing them for the realities of legal practice.

With the Jamaica national rounds completed, teams competed regionally via video conference throughout last week. The top performers will be announced today, with one team advancing to the Jessup international rounds in Washington, DC, at the end of March to compete against the best mooters from around the world.