ELSA International invites proposals from prospective Case Author(s) to write the Case for the 25th Edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition for the term 2026/2027.

The Competition is a simulated hearing of a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel. Teams of interested students from all over the world prepare Written Submissions for the complainant and the respondent on a fictitious case. The purpose of the Competition is to teach students about WTO law and the WTO dispute settlement system as well as to assist them in developing practical litigation skills. Teams then travel to Regional Rounds where they compete against each other before a WTO dispute settlement moot court panel composed of WTO and trade law experts. The best teams from each region participate in the Final Oral Round of the Competition held in Geneva in the Headquarters of the World Trade Organization.

All the Case proposals will be evaluated by the Academic Board composed of WTO law academics, practitioners, and staff of the WTO Secretariat. After acceptance of the case proposal by the Academic Board, the Case author(s) will work with the Academic Board to refine the issues presented in the proposal before the launch of the Competition with the publication of the case in September 2026. In addition to the initial Case, the Case Author(s) will also prepare the Answers to the Clarification Questions raised by students on the case as well as a bench memorandum and score sheet for panelists to use in judging the written submissions and competition. A detailed schedule of this review process will be provided to the selected author(s). The Case Author(s) are welcomed to the WTO in Geneva to judge the Final Oral Round of the Competition, along with distinguished WTO scholars and practitioners, in June 2027.

The Case Author(s) should be an academic or practitioner with extensive knowledge of WTO law, excellent legal research and analysis, and drafting skills. They should normally have no less than 5 years of experience and a proven record of dealing with complex issues of WTO law and policy. Proposals from young academics are particularly welcome.

The Case should enable students to engage with a realistic trade dispute raising legal issues under the WTO covered agreements. The Case proposal (approximately 1000 words in length) should present a factual scenario and identify approximately three to four WTO legal issues (which may include procedural issues) that arise from the scenario. The Case should provide a relatively balanced opportunity for legal arguments in favour of both the complainant and the respondent. Ideally, the Case would address some legal issues raised but not resolved in the jurisprudence to date and provide the opportunity to study and argue existing case law. The resolution of the legal issues should not depend on an evaluation of complex evidence or data. The proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the novelty of the issues raised, along with the opportunities provided by the case for students to engage with the existing WTO jurisprudence. Candidates are encouraged not to repeat the issues in the previous year’s case. 

Case proposals should be sent to johnhjackson@elsa.org by the 12th of December 2025 23:59 CET accompanied with a brief biography of the Case Author(s).