We are delighted that Alexandra Dogandzhiyska and Jessica Spasova from the YNG Legal team have returned from their participation in the Telders International Law Moot Court 2024 – Europe’s most prestigious international law competition. Alex and Jessica, together with Svetlana Slavcheva and Dian Stavrev, their fourth-year Law colleagues at Sofia University represented Bulgaria at the competition.

The team finished in the top 10 of the best universities and Alex and Jessica also made the list of the best oralists. Their coaches were Nadia Denkova and Ioanna Chenalova – students from upper years who have considerable experience in similar competitions.

The University of Cologne, Inner Temple College in London, Dublin University and the University of Timisoara were among the universities the Sofia University team faced.

“This experience was an unparalleled opportunity to gain practical experience in the field of International Law, to go in depth on current social and political issues related to today’s political reality in a global perspective,” shared Alexandra, paralegal at YNG legal.

The Telders International Law Moot Court Competition has been held since 1977 in The Hague, the Netherlands, at the local campus of Leiden University and at the so-called Peace Palace – the headquarters of the International Court of Justice of the United Nations. The aim is to give students the opportunity to build upon their theoretical and practical knowledge in the course of preparing for and participating in a simulated litigation between different countries. Telders also aims to promote teamwork and European integration.

This year’s case was about the dispute of three fictitious states with claims to the so-called island of Hermet, which dispute develops into a serious conflict. Each year, the simulated trial is put before a simulated court at a level at which in real life it would be put before the UN’s International Court of Justice. National student teams are assigned to represent the states substantively both in writing and through pleadings before the so-called moot courts. The students’ work is reviewed by legal experts, including actual judges from the real UN International Court of Justice, professors of law and lawyers.

The Hermett Island case confronted contestants with topics such as the jurisdiction of international courts and tribunals, incidental proceedings, the authority of advisory opinions, the law of armed conflict, the law of treaties, the law of the sea, and the law of state responsibility.

“One of the most significant lessons we have learned is that success is much more satisfying when you have someone to share it with! We are especially grateful for our amazing team, with whom we shared months of preparation and many sleepless nights,” shared Jessica, also a paralegal at our team.