Selection for the TELDERS and All-European International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Moot Court competitions

The Department of Public International Law is organizing a selection process to form and strengthen the teams that will represent the Faculty of Law in the TELDERS and All-European International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Moot Court international competitions.

1. The Telders MCC is the most important Public International Law moot court competition in Europe, featuring participants from over 20 countries. The international rounds will take place in The Hague (Netherlands) in June 2027. In the highly likely event that multiple Romanian universities prepare teams for the Telders MCC, the competition will also include a national stage. For further details regarding the Telders MCC and information on previous editions, please visit https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/teldersmcc.

The subject matter involves a hypothetical legal dispute between two states, submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ); the case is released in November 2026 and is based on current issues in international law. Students are required to prepare written memorials for both parties to the dispute before the ICJ and subsequently present oral arguments for each side.

The All-European International Humanitarian and Refugee Law Moot Court is a regional competition focused on international humanitarian law and refugee law, organized annually by the Faculty of Law at the University of Ljubljana in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Slovenian Red Cross.

The competition centers on a case study meticulously prepared by the organizers, addressing the most relevant and current issues in international humanitarian and refugee law, inspired by real-world crisis situations. Its aim is to encourage students to deepen their understanding of the fundamental concepts in these legal fields by resolving concrete legal problems and practicing legal argumentation before experienced judges. The case study outlines the facts of a fictional armed conflict; prior to each round, teams receive additional facts and specific roles to advocate before the judges, with limited preparation time for each oral argument. The preliminary rounds and quarterfinals involve simulated meetings between parties to the conflict and various international organizations, as well as other state and non-state actors, while the semifinals and finals feature a simulation of criminal proceedings before the International Criminal Court, with one team representing the Office of the Prosecutor and the other the Defense. The competition takes place from November 24 to 27, 2026.

2. To express their intention to participate in the selection process, interested students must submit a CV and a short letter of motivation (both in English) no later than Friday, July 17, 2026, to the email addresses gabriela.danila@law.ubbcluj.ro and patricia.cimpian@gmail.com. Advanced proficiency in English is a mandatory requirement. The letter of motivation must also specify the competition for which the student is applying.
3. The pre-selection process for forming the final team will consist of several stages; the first stage is an interview conducted in English (scheduled at a later date), covering Public International Law topics designed to assess specialized knowledge, oratorical and argumentative skills, teamwork aptitude, and the ability to adhere to strict time limits.

Minimum reading list for the interview:

(a) UN Charter;

(b) 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties;

(c) Case law of the International Court of Justice (available online at www.icj-cij.org);

(d) Public International Law – theoretical overview: https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup/Jessup%20Competitor%20Resources/intlawintro.pdf;

(e) Telders Rules: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/teldersmcc/international-rules-of-procedure-sept13.pdf