At the German National Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition 2026 (19.–22. February) in Trier, the team of the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) has achieved a historic success. The law students Çağatay Maloğlu, Rafaela Rietz, Jessica Schäfer, Luis Zilm and Cem Zor prevailed against 20 German teams and became National Champion 2026. They now represent Germany at the International Rounds at the end of March/beginning of April in Washington, D.C. One could say somewhat simplified: The Bochum team is German champion in international law 2026 and is now going to the World Championship in International Law!

A path without defeat – victories against established top universities

The Bochum team did not have an easy draw. Nevertheless, it confidently prevailed against previous series winners such as the Hertie School and the University of Heidelberg - and finally won the "Grand Final" against the renowned Bucerius Law School. Remarkable: The team won every single round of the entire competition and almost always in unanimous votes of all judges. After four clear wins in the preliminary round, the sovereign march through the three final rounds followed. The team was also able to convince the renowned judges unanimously in the final. With this, the Bochum team not only qualifies again for Washington, D.C. - as last ten years ago - but also becomes National Champion again after 15 years.

Proud at the faculty and IFHV

The Faculty of Law of the Ruhr University Bochum, which generously supports the team, as well as the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV), which supervised the team academically, are happy with the team. Dr. Pierre Thielbörger, emphasized: "We are enormously proud of these five brilliant law students. Such a landslide victory could not have been imagined even in the darest dreams. Thielbörger, who was also there with the team in Trier as a judge, especially thanked the coaches Dilara Karmen Yaman, Stanislau Lashkevich and Yari-Lasse Jäger (all from the IFHV) for their dedicated and intelligent support of the team. "This great performance is also a great award for the unique coaching team." Coaches Yaman, Lashkevich and Jäger could not be more proud either: "We are very pleased to see that the students were able to exploit their potential. It is a great honor for us and we are grateful to be able to accompany the team on this path." The success was also significantly supported by a strong support network. In addition to the internal "Jessup family", Hengeler Mueller, Hogan Lovells, Kümmerlein, Noerr and RWE accompanied the preparation with demanding test pleadings and valuable feedback - a support that contributed significantly to the success of the German National Rounds.

A competition with tradition and international renom

The "Jessup" was founded in 1960 at Harvard University and is considered the oldest, largest and most renowned Moot Court competition in the world. Students are negotiating a fictitious international case in English before the United Nations International Court of Justice. Each team prepares briefs for plaintiffs ("Applicants") and defendants ("Respondents") in a 5-month work phase and then competes against each other in several oral hearings in the final elimination. This year, 20 German universities took part in the national elimination. In addition to the RUB as National Champion, the Bucerius Law School also qualified as vice-champion as well as the Universities of Hamburg (3. Platz) and Heidelberg (4. place) for the World Cup.

Outstanding individual services and numerous special prices

In addition to the overall victory, the team also received numerous special prizes, including for the "Best Plaintiff Side", the "Second Best Defendant Side" and the "1. Place after the preliminary round". The Bochum students were also individually awarded. Rafaela Rietz was honored as the second best speaker of the tournament and Cem Zor received three individual awards: third best speaker of the tournament, best speaker for both sides, and best speaker in the final. Jessica Schäfer was also able to assert herself as the fifth best speaker of the tournament.

International Stage in Washington, D.C.

The German National Rounds also offer the teams top-class international networking. Several judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg worked as well as many renowned lawyers and professors of international law from all over the country. In addition, Prof. Dr. Pierre Thielbörger and Prof. Dr. Birgit Peters, who was the academic hostess in Trier, at the tournament her joint new Trier-Bochum research project "World Court in the Spotlight". Students can record important decisions under international law as a podcast episode and then publish them on the International Law Blog, Germany's largest blog in the field of international law.

After this unique weekend in Trier, the look forward: to Washington, D.C., where the Bochum team will represent Germany  internationally. Because after the trial is before the trial. The entire Ruhr University keeps its fingers crossed for the team!