International Criminal & Humanitarian Law Competitions

Every year, the War Crimes Research Office (WCRO) seeks students (2L, 3L, or LL.M.) to represent the Washington College of Law in international criminal law and humanitarian law (IHL) competitions: the Jean-Pictet and Clara Barton IHL Competitions and the International Criminal Court Moot.

Application Process

The application process for the 2023-2024 competition is now open. Students with experience in international humanitarian or criminal law are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications can be found here. The deadline for applications is Friday, September 29, 2023. 

Jean-Pictet & Clara Barton IHL Competitions

Unlike a traditional moot court competition, the Jean-Pictet Competition consists of a week-long series of simulated diplomatic negotiations and other exercises focused on IHL and other areas of public international law. The competition provides an excellent opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the study and practice these areas of the law, and to hone skills vital to the field of international law, including negotiation, lobbying and advocacy.

The competition is held in a different city each year over one week, and two concurrent competitions are held, one in English and one in French. One winning team from each group is selected to participate in the final round of the competition. This year's competition will be held in Bredene, Belgium. Selection for participation in the Jean-Pictet Competition is conducted not only by the WCRO but also by the organizers of the competition. Per Jean-Pictet rules, “In order to avoid any inequality between teams that may arise from the participation of extremely qualified or experienced participants, the [Concours Jean-Pictet] may decide not to accept the participation of students over the age of thirty who have strong experience in law or in the field of humanitarian action.” Additionally, any person who has previously attended the competition is also ineligible. For more information about the competition, please visit the competition website.

The Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law Competition is an experiential learning competition similar to the Jean-Pictet Competition that is sponsored by the American Red Cross to introduce future attorneys to the practical challenges encountered by those who practice IHL during armed conflict. This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Competition, which will be held on March 22nd to March 24th, 2024 at the historic American Red Cross Headquarters campus in the heart of Washington D.C., which sits across the street from the White House. The Competition involves multiple rounds of hypothetical case studies in which team members take on a variety of professional roles and field assignments. Knowledge of IHL and international public law will be tested in this competition, in addition to the ability to present, advocate, and defend legal positions to various parties throughout the simulations. 2L, 3L, and LL.M students are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the competition website.

In past years, the WCL has been represented by the following teams:

The 2021 Competition
Megan Cox and Courtney Veneri represented the Washington College of Law at the 2021 Clara Barton Competition. Both finished as semi-finalists and received the runner-up designations for Best Advocate. 

The 2020 Competition
Autumn Claybaugh, Stephen Keith, and Erica Levin represented the Washington College of Law at the 2020 Jean-Pictet Competition in Denpasar, Indonesia.

The 2019 Competition
Rachel Bruce, Lindsey Miller, and Katherine Tomaszewski won first place at the 2019 Clara Barton Competition in Washington, DC, and represented the Washington College of Law at the Jean-Pictet Competition in Obernai, France.

The 2018 Competition
Katherine Holcombe, Emma Marion, and Carly Nuttal represented the Washington College of Law at the 2018 Jean-Pictet Competition in Ohrid, North Macedonia and placed second at the Clara Barton Competition in Washington, D.C.

The 2017 Competition
Victoria Garcia, Cynthia Park, and Laura Texeira represented the Washington College of Law at the 2017 Jean-Pictet Competition in the Republic of Georgia and the Clara Barton Competition in Washington, D.C.

The 2016 Competition
Austin Shangraw, Tara Vassefi, and Megan Watson represented the Washington College of Law at the 2016 Clara Barton Competition in Seattle, Washington.

The 2015 Competition
Rashad Abelson, Merve Stolzman, and Emelie Kozak represented the Washington College of Law at the 2015 Jean Pictet Competition in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Clara Barton Competition in Chicago, Illinois.

The 2014 Competition
Manuela Londoño, Chelsea Zimmerman, and William Xu represented the Washington College of Law at the 2014 Jean-Pictet Competition in Sintra, Portugal and the Clara Barton Competition in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The 2013 Competition
Christine Mitchell, Christopher Tansey, and Megan Wakefield represented the Washington College of Law at the 2013 Jean-Pictet Competition in Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

The 2012 Competition
Federico Barillas, Shubra Ohri, and Jeremy Kelley represented the Washington College of Law at the 2012 Jean-Pictet Competition in Winterton, South Africa.

The 2011 Competition
Megan Chapman, Tracey Begley, and Elinor Stevenson represented the Washington College of Law at the 2011 Jean-Pictet Competition in Najac, France.

The 2010 Competition
Kay Marshall, Jenny Norako, and Kavita Kapur represented the Washington College of Law at the 2010 Jean-Pictet Competition in Orford, Canada.

The 2008 Competition
Peter Chapman, Abdul Omar, and Nicholas Leddy represented Washington College of Law at the 2008 Jean-Pictet Competition in Schwarzenburg, Switzerland.

The 2007 Competition
The 2007 Jean-Pictet Competition was held in El Escorial, Spain, from April 14-21. Erin Louise Palmer, Robert Tanenbaum, and Ryan Vogel represented Washington College of Law.

The 2006 Competition
The 2006 Jean-Pictet Competition was held in Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia and Montenegro, from March 4-11. WCL students Katharine Brown, Christian De Vos, and Elizabeth “Ellee” Walker represented Washington College of Law. The team distinguished themselves, advancing to the semi-finals of the
competition.

The 2005 Competition
The 2005 Jean-Pictet Competition took place in Collonges-la-Rouge, France, from April 2-9. Jennifer Dorn, J.P. Henderson, and Kristen McGeeney represented Washington College of Law at the competition.

ICC Moot Court Competition

The ICC Moot Court Competition is a moot court competition held at Pace University School of Law in White Plains, NY, based on a hypothetical criminal trial argued before the International Criminal Court. Unique to this competition is the fact that each team has the opportunity to write a brief and argue their case from one of three different perspectives: that of the Prosecutor, Defense Counsel and either a Victim or State Representative. Each team will then participate in three rounds of oral arguments with the opportunity of arguing from all three perspectives. The highest scored teams will advance to the finals in The Hague to compete against qualifying teams from other areas of the world. Pursuant to the rules this competition, "Student with any professional legal experience, which includes qualification as a lawyer, but excludes legal internships, are not eligible to the enter the Competition. Students aged 32 or older at the time of the Competition are not eligible to participate. For more information about the competition, please visit the competition website.

The 2022 Competition
Michelina Partipilo, Isabella Zink, and Maria Pantano represented the Washington College of Law at the 2022 competition. The WCL team finished as semi-finalists in the Regional Round for the Americas and Caribbean, and Isabella Zink received Best Defense Advocate in the Preliminary Rounds.

The 2018 Competition
Ali Boyd, Medea Jones, and Max Olarsch represented the Washington College of Law at the 2018 competition.

The 2017 Competition
Amélie Beauchemin, Sarah June Benjamin, and Emma Brandon represented the Washington College of Law at the 2017 competition.

The 2016 Competition
Sam Varnes, Amy Yoon, and Sara Kohgadai represented the Washington College of Law at the 2016 competition.

The 2015 Competition
Trevor Maxwell, Asma Kadri, and Christopher Keeler represented the Washington College of Law at the 2015 competition. The team placed first in the Regional Round for the Americas and Caribbean, where Christopher Keeler placed first for best oralist in the final round, third for best oralist overall, and second for best prosecution brief. The team went on to compete in the international round in The Hague.

The 2014 Competition
Vy Nguyen, Carter Parét, and Meolodie Arian represented the Washington College of Law at the 2014 competition.

The 2013 Competition
Naida Henao, Bethanie Haynes, and Michelle Flash represented the Washington College of Law at the 2013 competition, going on to compete in the international round in The Hague.

The 2012 Competition
The 2012 competition took place from February 10-12. WCL students Molly Hofsommer, Ivan Carpio, and Anna Taylor represented the Washington College of Law. Molly Hofsommer was awarded Third-Place Runner-Up for the Government Counsel Memorial.

The 2011 Competition
The 2011 competition took place from January 28-30. WCL students Justin Shore, Aileen Thomson, and Zsofia Young represented the Washington College of Law. Aileen Thomson was awarded 2nd Best Prosecution Memorial and the team reached the semi-finals.

The 2010 Competition
The 2010 competition took place from January 29-31. WCL students Megan Haskins, Safina Lakhani, and Tanvi Zaveri represented the Washington College of Law. The team was awarded second place for Best Victims' Participation Memorial.

The 2009 Competition
The 2009 competition was held from February 16-20. WCL students Jennifer Norako, Eric Leveridge and Kavita Kapur represented the Washington College of Law. Jennifer Norako placed third for Best Defense Memorial, and Kavita Kapur received third place for Best Prosecution Memorial.