Asari Legal continues its tradition of supporting the Russian rounds of the Jessup Moot

Sixteen teams from leading Russian universities participated in the 2026 national rounds. Following the oral hearings, the Higher School of Economics (HSE) team took first place, while teams from MGIMO University and Lomonosov Moscow State University were named runners-up; all three teams qualified to represent Russia at the international rounds, which will take place from 28 March to 4 April in Washington, D.C.

Asari Legal once again acted as General Sponsor of the Russian rounds, continuing a tradition of support established several years ago. At the final, held at the MGIMO Conference Centre, Dmitry Kaysin, Senior Partner at Asari Legal, announced the firm’s decision to fund the winning team’s participation in the international rounds.

“Jessup is not only the most challenging and prestigious moot court in the world—it is also an intensive professional training ground. It develops the skills essential for work in international disputes and arbitration: the ability to build a strategy, present arguments clearly and persuasively, work effectively as part of a team, and communicate with colleagues across jurisdictions. At Asari Legal, we closely follow such competitions, as this is where talented young lawyers demonstrate that they’re ready for really challenging and intellectually engaging work on cross-border matters. Supporting the Russian Jessup rounds is a conscious investment in the next generation of outstanding Russian lawyers,” said Dmitry Kaysin, Senior Partner at Asari Legal and Co-Head of the firm’s Arbitration practice.

“I am sincerely grateful to Asari Legal for helping organise the Russian Jessup rounds so impressively well for several years in a row. This support gives future lawyers the opportunity to challenge themselves and discover how engaging international dispute resolution can be,” said Evgeniya Neverova, Counsel at Asari Legal and National Administrator of the competition.

The Philip C. Jessup Competition simulates proceedings before the International Court of Justice. More than 800 teams from over 100 countries took part in the 2026 competition. Teams draft memos and argue both sides of a complex public international law dispute between fictional states, addressing the current burning issues of international law.

Asari Legal congratulates the winners and runners-up of the Russian rounds and wishes the teams every success at the international stage.