University legal competition begins in Beijing

A total of 59 students from 39 universities and colleges across the country gathered in Beijing on Saturday to participate in a nationwide competition for international legal talents after a primary election.

All the contestants are law students, and the final winner will be chosen on Sunday, according to the competition initiator, the China University of Political Science and Law.

It is a comprehensive competition initiated by the university in the field of foreign-related legal talent education and for law school students in China.

The university said that the competition aims to respond to the national demands of the foreign-related rule of law strategy, promote law schools to focus on the cultivation of international legal talents, and encourage law students to become qualified international legal practitioners.

Named "CESL Cup: International Legal Talents Competition," the contest was organized by the university's China-EU School of Law (CESL), the first law school that was approved by the Ministry of Education under the "Sino-Foreign Schools Agreement."

On Saturday, the 59 contestants, in the first round, were required to provide advice and dispute solutions to clients in line with simulated international business cases, and in the second round, they needed to negotiate in the simulated foreign business scenarios.

At the end of the two rounds, judges, including those from domestic and overseas officials, legal professionals and lawyers, are scheduled to select 18 outstanding students to attend the final round, which includes a legal presentation and simulated arbitration moot, on Sunday.

Both the contestants and judges are ordered to speak English throughout the competition, the organizer said.

The competition will eventually give birth to three first prizes, along with several other awards. The winners will be awarded scholarships, it added.