The Art of Mooting is essentially linked to enhancing one’s advocacy skills beyond the books and literature of the law schools. With the aim of shaping the students to become the future mooters of the world, Jessup Bangladesh, and International Law Students Association (ILSA) in collaboration with the United States Department of Justice, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (USDOJ/ OPDAT) organized the 2-day Pre-Jessup Workshop titled ‘May it Please the Court: Unmasking the Art of Mooting’ on 11 and 12 August 2022. The workshop was hosted by the American International University – Bangladesh (AIUB). This workshop was designed to prepare the students to participate successfully in the 7^th Bangladesh National Round of the 64^th Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2022-2023.

The opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Dr. Tazul Islam, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, AIUB, Dr. Taslima Mansoor, Advisor, Department of Law, AIUB, Ms. Natasha Harnwell-Davis, Attorney, Criminal Appellate Section, and Ms. Sarah E. Edwards, Resident Legal Advisor, from the USDOJ/ OPDAT, U.S. Embassy, Dhaka. The remarks were followed by introductory remarks by Mr. Nuran Choudhury, National Coordinator, ILSA Chapters Bangladesh, and Mr. Riad Mahmud, National Administrator, Bangladesh Qualifying Round, Philip C. Jessup Int’l Law Moot Court Competition 2022, introducing the objectives of the workshop with the attendees.

A total of 29 teams with more than 140 law students from universities across Bangladesh, both within and beyond the Capital Dhaka, and 30 volunteers participated this year as observers and mooters of the upcoming National Rounds.

In order to tailor the minds of the students in line with the mooting essentials, the Champion and Runners-up team of 2021 Global Rounds of the Competition, Harvard Law School, and Singapore Management University respectively, joined the workshop to share their experience through the session on ‘A Tale of the Victorious’. The importance and role of the International Law Moot Court Competition in career building was shared by Mr. Masrur Ansari, Legal Advisor, ICRC. To acquaint the students on the art of oral advocacy, the Best Oralist of the Advanced Rounds of the White & Case International Rounds of Jessup 2022, Elise Manchester, virtually joined the workshop. Various other multiforked sessions during the two-day workshop were facilitated by former Jessup mooters, Jessup Facilitators, Ambassadors and Executive Members of Jessup Bangladesh.

In the closing remarks, Justice Zafar Ahmed, Honorable Judge, High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh, highlighted on the significance of mooting and urged all the students to participate in the upcoming competition. Ms. Natasha Harnwell-Davis and Ms. Sarah E. Edwards expressed their gratitude for the interactive and detailed sessions during the workshop and also expressed their willingness to remain connected to Jessup Bangladesh in its future initiatives.

Prof. Dr. Tazul Islam, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, AIUB, Dr. Taslima Mansoor, Advisor, Department of Law, AIUB, Mr. Washik Md. Istiaq Ezaz, National Administrator, Jessup Bangladesh Qualifying Round 2022 and 2023 and Mr. Nuran Choudhury thanked all the dignitaries, guests, students, coaches, volunteers as well as the organizing team for organizing this workshop.