LL.M. Students Participate in IHL Moot Court Competition

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YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) Master of Laws (LL.M.) students Meri Batikyan, Izabella Khachatryan, and Milena Khorotyan participated in the 16th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, held April 29-May 1, 2022, in Tsaghkadzor. The team competed against seven other teams from different universities. 

The AUA team called “Humane in Action” demonstrated their knowledge of international humanitarian law and legal analysis skills and won the Best Progressing Team nomination. Participation in the moot helped the team deepen their knowledge of international humanitarian law and improve their oral advocacy skills presenting their case to a jury of leading Armenian experts in the field. 

Reflecting on their participation in the moot, the students noted that the LL.M. program offers them various courses related to public international law and international humanitarian law. As they highlight, the fact that they have studied these topics in very informative courses has helped them grasp the set of rules that seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. For instance, in the IHL course, they have studied the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Conventions, as well as several case laws that discuss how the modern world responds to the dreadful effects of armed conflict. As a result, the LL.M. coursework has enabled them to be well-prepared for discussions and to apply the knowledge gained in appropriate circumstances, such as the IHL Moot Court 2022 competition. 

In preparation for the competition, the AUA team first reviewed all the materials that they had studied in their IHL course, then screened other online courses on the topic to gain more insight into the subject. 

Following the IHL Moot Court competition, the AUA team looked back to assess its strong and weak points. Furthermore, the team members made a commitment to support next year’s AUA students and teams who choose to participate in the IHL Moot Court competition. The students are convinced that awareness of and proficiency in IHL rules are not an advantage, but a necessity. 

The competition is one of the first moot courts introduced in Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2005. The objective of the event is to raise awareness of international humanitarian issues among law students and to enhance their knowledge of the application of IHL rather than the black letter laws.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.