Culture & Education | Wednesday 15 April, 2015 9:34 am |

For the sixth time in a row, an American University of Sharjah (AUS) team won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (Jessup) national rounds at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts recently.

“I think this competition teaches our students the importance of hard work, punctual performance of goals and attention to detail,” said Dr. Kevin Gray, Assistant Professor of International Studies and moot court coach at AUS.

Dr. Grey also commended the department’s efforts for continuously supporting participation in this unique competition. “The Department of International Studies has run a highly successful moot court program for the last six years. AUS Jessup teams have either been the national champion, or one of the national representatives, for those years, and have represented the UAE at the largest international moot court competition in the world,” he said.

Now in its 56th year, Jessup is the world's largest moot competition, attracting over 700 law schools from all over the world, with students preparing written memorials for a fictitious case before the International Court of Justice, and then presenting them before a panel of judges. The winning AUS team is currently representing the university and the UAE in the final international round in Washington, DC.

Mennat Al Khalil, a member of the team and an AUS international studies student, shared the reasons why she decided to audition for this year's moot court team. “I saw it as a great opportunity to continue my commitment to studying international law and prepare myself for a career in law and future leadership roles. I am extremely thankful to AUS and Dr. Kevin Gray for presenting me with this great experience and opportunity. Representing AUS and the UAE in Washington, DC, is an honor,” said Al Khalil.

Moot court is offered as regular 3-credit course each fall. Though it has unusual course timings and requires a lot of hard work, participants said its benefits outweigh the costs. “I would definitely recommend this course to students interested in pursuing a future career in law. Joining AUS's moot court team will not only add to your skills in debating, advocacy, legal research and writing, but will also teach you the ability to strike a balance between teamwork and patience,” remarked Al Khalil.




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About AUS

American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The university was envisaged by His Highness as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent, institution of higher education formed on the American model.

It offers 26 majors and 52 minors at the undergraduate level, and 14 master’s degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Engineering; and the School of Business Administration. These programs are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic business and industrial environment.

As a provider of quality higher education in the Gulf, AUS is licensed and its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. AUS is accredited in the United States of America by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The bachelor of science degree programs in chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering offered by the College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org). The bachelor of science degree program in computer science offered by the College of Engineering is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org). The Bachelor of Architecture program of the College of Architecture, Art and Design is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) of the United States. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) as well as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees offered by the School of Business Administration are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).