John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition 2026-27 (25th Edition) on WTO Law by ELSA [West & South Asia Regional Round at NUJS Kolkata, 12-15 March 2027; Register by 6 November 2026]

The John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition (formerly the ELSA Moot Court Competition) is a simulated hearing of the WTO dispute settlement system, organised by The European Law Students' Association (ELSA) since 2002 with technical support from the World Trade Organization. Teams argue a fictitious case for both the Complainant and the Respondent before Panels of WTO and trade law experts. The 2026-27 edition is the 25th, and the Competition is held entirely in English.

The case for the 25th Edition, Tsikotria - Measures affecting autonomous (self-driving) passenger vehicles from Vahanot, written by Sagnik Sinha and Gerard Penalosa, was published on 16 September 2026 and is available on the Competition website.

• Written Round: every registered team files one Written Submission for the Complainant and one for the Respondent, each not exceeding 35 pages excluding the cover page, due 10 January 2027 (23:59 CET).
• Regional Rounds: teams are allocated by country. Teams from India (and the rest of West and South Asia) plead in the West & South Asia Regional Round at The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, from 12 to 15 March 2027. Regional Rounds are held physically, with Preliminary Rounds, Semi-Finals and a Grand Final; preliminary rankings combine oral pleadings (60%) and Written Submissions (40%).
• Final Oral Round: the best 24 teams worldwide qualify for the Final Oral Round at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from 15 to 19 June 2027.

• Teams of 2 to 4 law students enrolled at a university or law faculty accredited under national law to grant a degree that permits its graduates to enter a legal profession, located in an ELSA Member State or a current or acceding Member or observer of the WTO (India qualifies).
• All members must be from the same university; one team per law faculty. If more than one team from a faculty registers, the faculty selects its team.
• Each team may register up to 2 coaches; two teams cannot share a coach.
• Students who have previously participated in the Competition, who are involved in organising it, or who have been engaged in the practice of law are excluded. Internships during holidays or as part of the academic programme normally do not count as practice of law.

• Team registration fee: EUR 250 per team, non-refundable, paid to ELSA International; registration is complete only once the fee is paid (fee deadline 30 November 2026). Teams bear bank transfer costs.
• Regional Round participation fee: EUR 160 per team member and EUR 180 per coach, paid to the Regional Round organisers. Travel and accommodation are not covered.
• Final Oral Round (qualified teams only): EUR 700 per team and EUR 180 per coach.

Teams may apply to ELSA International for a partial or full waiver (up to 100%) of the EUR 250 registration fee through the Financial Aid Form, with a letter of motivation, a letter of recommendation attesting to academic credentials and a CV for each participant. The official documents give different closing dates for this form (2 November 2026 on the Participation page, 6 November 2026 in the Timeline and 9 November 2026 on the Registration Form), so apply by 2 November 2026 to be safe.

Team members and coaches who file both Written Submissions and attend their Regional Round receive a participation certificate from the organisers, and a Final Oral Round certificate if they qualify for and attend Geneva. A Written Submission certificate is available on special request. Certificates are downloadable as PDFs after the Competition and must be downloaded by 31 July 2027. Awards are listed in the Awards section below.

Submit the online Team Registration Form on the Competition website by 6 November 2026, 23:59 CET, with university details, all team members, the team captain, coaches and invoicing details. ELSA then emails each registered team a team number to be used in all further communication and sends an invoice for the registration fee. Late registration is possible only on request to ELSA International. Only registered teams may submit clarification questions (maximum 5, by 9 November 2026).