09/02/2025
GRC’s legal advisors and legal researchers joined the 29th Ukrainian national rounds of the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition as judges, participants, coaches, volunteers, and guests.
The Jessup Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious public international law moot court competitions in the world, uniting hundreds of teams and thousands of students, academics, and practitioners yearly in discussions of novel and complex issues of international law.
This year the team of National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, which included three GRC legal researchers, became the Ukrainian national champion. Sincerest congratulations to Vladyslav Levchuk, Anastasiia Shashkevych and Vladyslav Mykhalchenko for the amazing work done!
“What starts with the hard law and theoretical debates soon transforms into something deeply personal. For me, Jessup is more than just a competition; it is a challenge that pushes you to grow, both as a legal mind and as part of a team bound by common passion and resilience. It is a chance to represent Ukraine and to show the world that international law is not just about rigid rules – it is about people, about justice, about shaping a future where law truly serves humanity – the core values that we embrace in GRC. And in this journey, we do not just prove our knowledge but our commitment to making a difference”, stated Vladyslav Levchuk, legal researcher at GRC.
“Despite having states as its primary subjects, public international law is inherently a human endeavour,” – stated Jeremy Pizzi, international legal advisor at GRC. “It is conceptualised, moulded, and ultimately applied by humans. Contributions to international law are done most effectively not in the abstract of sovereign nations and institutional hierarchies, but in the tangible of human contact and emotion. Jessup provides exactly the kind of setting which guides future professionals to understand the importance of discourse, debate, and relationships with peers that are central to public international law’s perpetual motion to align itself with humanity’s shared values.”
“Competitions like Jessup present a unique opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge and skills in international law that further allows them to enter the field as talented young practitioners. Especially in Ukraine, Jessup contributes strongly to building an international law community and preparing professionals to strengthening Ukraine’s effort in investigating and prosecuting atrocity crimes. GRC members are very proud to continue supporting Jessup Ukraine in various roles – as judges, participants and coaches”, - commented Maksym Vishchyk, legal advisor and international law research coordinator with Mobile Justice Teams at GRC.