![(Front row, L-R) Raelee Toh, Erica Wee, Elizabeth Ho, Genieve Wu. (Back row, L-R) Alexander Kamsany Lee, Fu Qiyuan, Lovein Sui, Assoc Prof Chen Siyuan. Absent in photo - Asst Prof Nicholas Liu, who coached the team. [Photo credit: Chen Siyuan]](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/2025-05/photo_SMU%20wins%202025%20Jessup%20moot_photo%20credit%20Chen%20Siyuan%20-%20landscape.jpg)
Law students from the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL) have excelled at three recent moot competitions, starting by clinching a win on the regional stage at the 23rd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot (Asia-Pacific Region) in March.
On the global stage, SMU mooters also delivered a remarkable double victory at two of the world’s most prestigious moot court competitions – the 66th Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and the 22nd Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The competitions were held on the same weekend, and our teams’ successes mark a significant milestone for SMU and Singapore’s legal education on the international stage. In particular, the Jessup championship was last won by a Singapore university in 2001.
This achievement elevates YPHSL’s standing among the world’s premier legal education institutions and also serves as an inspiration for future generations of lawyers in Singapore.
SMU Provost Professor Alan Chan said, “We are hugely proud of the teams! We know they are extremely talented, but the results show that we are not just being partial to our students! These well-earned victories also reflect the dedication and support of our faculty and staff, alumni, and the entire SMU Law community. The Law school will spare no effort in continuing to nurture globally attuned, practice-ready legal professionals through a rigorous curriculum and real-world exposure.”
“Our teams’ stellar accomplishment affirms Yong Pung How School of Law’s position as a global powerhouse in advocacy and legal education, which is particularly meaningful this year as the University celebrates its 25th anniversary,” he added. He also attributed the moot success at SMU YPHSL to the Ian R Taylor International Moots Programme, which has firmly established the law school on the global stage. This programme has nurtured generations of mooters who have earned numerous world-class accolades, enabling it to consistently excel at the most prestigious international moots.
Showcasing expertise in humanitarian, international and commercial law
The Red Cross IHL Moot, held back in March, is one of the world’s largest regional moots that sees more than 100 teams participating annually. This year’s edition was from 12 to 15 March 2025 in Hong Kong, and saw teams showcase their expertise in international humanitarian law and vying for the championship title.
It was SMU’s fifth finals appearance in this competition, with the team up against 23 other teams that had qualified. Participants were challenged by a rigorous simulation of trials based on hypothetical cases adjudicated by the International Criminal Court, during which they navigate complex and intricate issues of responsibility within the framework of the IHL.
The SMU team, comprising final-year law undergraduates Eugene Ho Shu Hao, John Hoy, Damien Teo Heng Rui and Ryan Tan, exhibited exceptional advocacy skills throughout the multiple rounds of the moot, before going on to secure SMU’s position at the pinnacle of the competition. Notably, Damien was honoured as the Best Mooter of the Final Round, a testament to his outstanding legal acumen.
Next, 5 April 2025, Team SMU emerged as the World Champion at the 2025 Jessup Moot, the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition. This year’s competition saw especially fierce competition, with a record number of 805 teams participating.
In the Jessup Moot, teams present written and oral arguments on complex international legal topics, making it through national or regional qualifying rounds before advancing to the White & Case International Rounds in Washington, DC, where they compete for the championship.
The stellar SMU team – comprising final-year LLB undergraduates Lovein Sui, Elizabeth Ho, Genieve Wu, Raelee Toh and Erica Wee – impressed judges of the International Court of Justice with their masterful legal reasoning, poise, and advocacy. Additionally, Erica was named Best Oralist of the competition. The team was coached by a dedicated team of alumni coaches, led by SMU Assistant Professor of Law Nicholas Liu.
This was the fourth time that SMU has made it to the final round of this competition since debuting in the international rounds of the competition back in 2013. Teams from YPHSL took first runner-up positions in 2013, 2014 and 2022, despite being one of the youngest law schools to compete.
Barely a day later in Hong Kong, SMU mooters also took the win at the 22nd Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot, after nine rounds of intense competition. The victory marks SMU’s third championship title at Vis (East) since debuting in the competition in 2010, having previously won in 2022 and 2015. The University also achieved podium finishes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
The Vis (East) Moot is the sister competition to the prestigious Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna. As international commercial transactions and cross-border disputes continue to rise across Asia, Vis (East) offers law students, academics, and practitioners exposure to global arbitration and international trade law – through an Asian lens.
The Vis (East) team from the SMU comprised Juris Doctor students Samantha Loh and Aishwarya Salkade, and law undergraduates Jonathan Teo and Adele Ling and Evangeline Han.
(L-R) Jonathan Teo, Aishwarya Salkade, Adele Ling, Evangeline Han, Samantha Loh; with coaches Suryanarayanan Jayakumar and Tan Jun Hong.
These wins – added to the numerous world-class accolades that generations of SMU mooters have earned – firmly establish YPHSL on the global stage, which has been consistently ranked among the top three law schools worldwide for international moots, according to the voluntary Nica Law School Ranking.
YPHSL has also been the tournament leader in prominent competitions such as the International Criminal Court (Hague), Price Media Law (Oxford), Frankfurt Investment, and Vis East (Vienna) moots. SMU teams have consistently excelled in the Jessup (Washington), Mandela, and LAWASIA competitions, among many others.
See also:
SMU law students triumph at 23rd Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot | SMU Newsroom;
SMU is third-time champion at the Willem C. Vis (East) International Arbitration Moot | SMU Newsroom;
