Upcoming Webinar: From Bench Briefs to Bots: AI’s Transformative Impact on Moot Courts

As part of their annual Jessup Summer School, our friends at Jessup Ukraine are hosting a online webinar on the use of AI in moot court competitions. This event is open to everyone who is interested!

Titled “From Bench Briefs to Bots: AI’s Transformative Impact on Moot Courts,” the webinar will be held at 17:00 Kyiv time (GMT+3) on Monday, 28 July, and will be available on Zoom and streamed on YouTube. (We will also make it available after the event is over, for those who aren’t able to attend.)

Register here to receive access and to submit your questions to the panelists!

The full description from the organizers is as follows:

The panel will explore the profound and multifaceted ways in which artificial intelligence has reshaped the landscape of moot court competitions. Once primarily reliant on traditional legal research, moot courts are now grappling with the integration of AI-powered tools at every stage – from sophisticated legal research platforms and case prediction software to AI-driven feedback mechanisms and even simulated opposing counsel.

In 2024, organizers of the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition engaged researchers Damien Charlotin and Niccolò Ridi to test the capabilities of leading large language models (LLMs), Gemini 2.0 and GPT-4o, by having them generate ten complete legal memorials. These AI-produced submissions were evaluated anonymously by Jessup judges. The results? Surprisingly competitive – and ethically complex.

Speakers:
Michael Peil
Executive Director of the International Law Students Association (ILSA), which administers the Jessup Moot Court Competition. He is currently serving his second term (2022–present), having previously held the position from 2001 to 2006. Michael has been involved with the Jessup since 1995, serving as competitor, coach, judge, National Administrator, and Problem author.

Ganna Yudkivska
Vice Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, who judged the 2024 Final Round of the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition.

Damien Charlotin
Senior Researcher at HEC Paris and a data scientist, known for active involvement in the study of AI’s impact on legal research. Damien also serves as Jessup National Administrator for France.

Niccolò Ridi
Lecturer in Public International Law at King’s College London, specializing in international dispute settlement and the computational analysis of international law, including the application of AI in legal reasoning.

Masha Stolbovа
Co-coach of the 2025 Jessup International Runner-Up team, the 2024 Telders International Champion team, a former National Administrator of Jessup Ukraine, combining her moot court work with lecturing and serving as Chief Legal Counsel for a leading international esports organization.

Vladyslav Mykhalchenko
Ukrainian law student and mooter, who participated in leading moot court competitions, including 2025 Jessup International Rounds (International Runner-Up), Telders 2024 (International Champion), and ICC Moot Court 2023 (Best Memorial Overall).

Moderated by Mr. Sergiy Petukhov, experienced moot court coach and judge.