For nearly 30 years, American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) has held the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition to give a cadre of international law students experience presenting cases focused on human-rights issues before a panel of esteemed judges. Presenting to these experts and hearing their advice and guidance helps train the next generation of international human rights lawyers.

“Throughout the competition, we had the opportunity to attend some events and talk to many experts on the subject, which made the experience even more fulfilling,” said Dayanna Gomes, a runner-up for this year’s competition from Brazil. “Indeed, the importance of competitions like IAMOOT is immense, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this enriching experience.”

Every year the court selects a new topic that pertains to the Inter-American Court of Human Right’s goals about promoting basic rights and freedoms while also touching on important topics in current events. The hypothetical case that the students argue is human rights experts, including members of the Inter-American Commission and Court. This year’s case was written by Carlos Quesada, the founder and director of the non-profit Race & Equality, and Christina M. Fetterhoff, an AUWCL alumna and programs director at Race & Equality.

Previous themes have included climate change, gender violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and indigenous rights. The theme for this year’s competition was “Equality and Human Rights – Confronting Racial Discrimination”.

“The 2023 hypothetical case, specifically, contributed to an extremely rich exchange of ideas between the teams and brought forth the views of the different American States concerning religious racism and racial discrimination,” said Carolina Sibilio, a member of the runner-up team from Brazil. “Knowing how concepts such as indirect discrimination and intersexual violence are applied in other countries proved to be very useful in understanding how to tackle these problems in Brazil and in recognizing the particular characteristics of the racial relations here.”

Perhaps the most critical part of the competition is not the Moot Court component itself but the effect it has on strengthening the human rights system. Many former participants of the Moot Court competition have decided to dedicate their professional careers to the human rights world, going on to work for prestigious NGOs, UN bodies, and the Inter-American Commission and Court.

“Participating in the competition in any role creates the feeling that you’re part of something greater,” said Andy Van Pachtenbeke, a Moot Court judge from Belgium. “It makes you feel more hopeful and optimistic about the future of human rights. Whether you're in academia, law practice, or public service, the achievement of human rights depends on mutual understanding and cooperation. The Inter-American Moot Court Competition promotes exactly that."

AUWCL alumni Gabriel Ortiz, who is the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law’s program coordinator for the Moot Court competition, says discussions on topics like racial discrimination and LGBTQ+ rights are common in the United States, but less frequent in parts of the world that many of the competitors come from.

“[People] don’t like to accept the fact that there’s a situation of structural racial discrimination,” Ortiz said. “So, the intention of having this year’s court was to start the conversation in Latin America because it has not even been discussed properly in academic forums.”

The turnout of Latin American countries for this year’s Moot Court was high. Universities in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, El Salvador, Ecuador, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, Venezuela, and Uruguay sent teams. As did universities from Belgium, Spain, France, and Singapore.

Eduardo Felipe da Silva Senra, another member of the winning team from Brazil, said this year’s issue was close to home for him, and he hoped the challenges of the competition would prepare him for a career defending human rights.

“I have many friends and members of my family that are from Afro-Brazilian religions like Umbanda and Candomblé and/or are part of the LGBTQ+ community like the victims of the hypothetical case,” he said. Fighting for human rights is more than a job; it is a mission that affects our day-to-day life, and defending these characters felt like supporting my family and friends, my supporters.”

American University Washington College of Law has a storied history with the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court. The competition was created by AUWCL professors Claudio Grossman, Robert Goldman, Claudia Martin, and Diego Rodriguez Pinzon in 1995. 

The continued stewardship of the Moot Court competition over the last 30 years highlights American University Washington College of Law’s continued excellence in the field of international human rights and shows the university’s strong commitment to training the next generation of lawyers to be the leaders in the field of human rights.

As the Academy on Human Rights prepares for the 30^th edition of the Moot Court competition in 2025, they also acknowledge the important role a former member of the court had on it.

The 2023 competition was named in honor of AUWCL Professor Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, who passed away on October 17, 2022. Elizabeth, an AUWCL alumna and former Deputy Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, was an essential part of the competition's history, being the only author to write the hypothetical case for two consecutive years. In her honor, the award given to the best speaker at the Moot Court competition has been named the “Elizabeth Abi-Mershed Best Orator” award.

Story by Brice Helms.