In this brief I provide five lessons on my two-year journey with the world’s largest, competitive and prestigious mooting competition – The Philip C. Jessup Int. Moot Competition.
This year’s championship was held in-person in Washington, in the United States and it doubles as my second experience with Jessup at the international level.
I hope this brief, although a brief, helps any law student thinking of becoming better at advocacy especially international moot.
1. Be humble to be taught no matter how decorated you are:
It was a difficult decision for me to accept to represent the UG School of Law again in Jessup this year because of my academic commitments and outstandings.
My coaches had insisted as the top oralist for UG team who contributed to the victory of the school last year at the national qualifiers, I be part of the team for this year to defend the title and possibly make history at the international rounds.
As the only final year student among the oralists and agreeably the most experienced, a lot was expected from me. I had no excuses not to make it to training despite my curricular activities; I had no excuses not to listen to instructions; no excuses for mistakes.
By my personal standards, it was a bad time to rely on my excellence as I was in my poorest shape- mentally and physically. So you can imagine the hard talks, chastisements I endured from my coaches who tried to manage me.
I was terribly hard on myself for silly mistakes but beyond this I was willing to learn and refine, put aside pride. And I was glad I did.
The challenge fell on my team, Respondent, to win the national championship for UG and Ghana with me emerging as the Best Oralist for the Prelims (an award later revoked by Jessup-Ghana post-competition correspondence). A story for another day.
2. You’re only a Local Champion; raise your standard:
Jessup is the Olympics of Mooting – 138 countries, 700 law schools. It requires the best of oral skills and refined oral arguments, sharpest of acumens; coherence and clarity; it is before the World’s Court, International Court of Justice, its judges and international lawyers and consultants.
It is therefore not your regular mooting and its conventions. The style of advocacy is very different from the emotional, spirited and overly passionate deliveries.
The pressure increases because of the confidence in you and by virtue of the fact that you are the local champions. You must have prepared and practised a thousand times because it would show before the court.
Fine details, fine margins, nuanced arguments, nothing short of seamless and responsive presentations – near perfection. Even more, if you are my team, the Respondent.
Your international opponents are the best, programmed and you would regret not to have been a master over your client’s case.
In this year’s Jessup and also in a long while, no African country has made it from the 138 countries to the Advanced stages made up of 48 countries.
This is a wake-up call to Ghana and African countries to raise our standards of moot-court advocacy. Mooting, especially international mooting, must be taught by experienced coaches.
Preferably Jessupers or young lawyers who are alumni must be employed in our law faculties to handle this. Team UG is very fortunate to have one of the best coaches in mooting, Kobby Afari Yeboah, whose longevity with the team has yielded excellent results across various local, continental and now international levels.
3. Be ready to adapt as you stay focused:
All Rise! Time to deliver on your months and possibly years of training, reading and research. You will meet unimaginably brilliant opponents with exceptional legal arguments and presentations.
You, Respondent, must respond no matter what but must also be responsive to the bench. But remember, you have your own case to build while at this. Team work. D&Ds, Dos and Donts apply!
Then comes the hard talks from coach Kobby. He leaves you broken but you must drop your ego, learn, focus and go harder for your clients the next day in Court. On your second day, the Panel say “this is our best performance in the competition so far”.
Be inspired! And O, your coughs, anxiety, flu or migraine getting worse? Please endure it or manage it!
4. It’s team work and team scores:
The ultimate qualifier at the international rounds is your team scores although your individual scores will add up to make up this composite.
So put up your best individual performance but also be concerned about how your other team is doing. This lesson is perhaps the constant year in year out and you can never get this wrong.
4. Keep your Network and always expand it:
I was pleased to meet Saeed Moomin, a Ghanaian, a former Jessuper and now Coach to University of Pennsylvania. We go way back and he reached out hearing I was in Washington.
I also met my former boss, international lawyer of White & Case, co-sponsors of the championship – Elizabeth Black, Counsel and Senior Manager, Global Citizenship at White & Case; she became our number one fan.
Comrade Vasco Ayere Avoka gallantly showed up when he heard I was around to support and celebrate the team. Other young Ghanaian lawyers, Kobby Amoah and Jonathan were incredible hosts and a strong support to the team.
My Jessup ‘22 personal trainer and former senior colleague at the African Centre for International Criminal Justice and the African Centre for Law & Ethics, young Ghanaian lawyer now with White & Case, Noah E. Tetteh, also solidarised with the team. Remarkable comradery the Ghanaian network and new friends showed.
5. The proud moments; patriotism rekindled:
It was with pride that we wore our traditional colours to represent the rich Ghanaian culture.
Other participants from different countries, who were also in their colourful traditional wears, curiously learned one or two about my fugu worn the Rawling’s way; and the colourful kente adorned by our elegant ladies.
Another spirited moment was the opening ceremony where we hoisted the Ghanaian flag among over 138 country flags. I just could not let that historic moment go uncaptured so I offered to video the team file pass the crowd through to the front to hour the red gold green and black star of Africa!
I climaxed my post-Jessup’23 moot championship experience with a tour in the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the largest of its kind in the world. Legendary; refilling; renewed hope; reignited African pride. And there was another reason to be a proud Ghanaian – the museum was designed by another illustrious son, David Adjaye.
Conclusion
Although we could not make it history by progressing to the Advanced stages of the competition, we are proud about our quality advocacy.
More work for Ghana and Africa to do if we wish to make history by going past the 48th stages and generally doing well in such globally competitive moot competitions. Ultimate gratitude to the dream team and our Coaches Kobby, Dorcas and Marfo.
Lessons worth repeating – stay humble to be taught; work towards international standards; adapt when you have to; focus and give yourself another reason to die for your school and country.
Above all, law faculties must make mooting attractive for students, and should employ experienced coaches to mentor mooters.
A Humble Black
Salute!
About Author
Kabu Nartey is the GJA Student Journalist of the Year, 2018. He is a two-time Champion of the National Qualifying Rounds of the Philip C Jessup Int. Competition 2022 & 2023; African Champion & Best Oralist of FALAS Moot Court Competition 2022, Johannesburg ; Recipient of the 2022 UGSol LSU Most Versatile Law Student; A Kufuor Scholars Fellow; Fmr. NUGS General Secretary; Acknowledged proof-reader of Prof E.K Abotsi’s Constitutional Law of Ghana : Texts, Cases & Commentary; Research Assistant to Manasseh Azure in the book “The Fourth John; Reign, Rejection and Rebound ; Author and Political Youth Activist
