Appendix: Quick Guides, Phrases, Practice Exercise, Scorecard and Glossary

Quick guide for each popular moot

These guides show what to study first. Rules, formats and even the competition’s focus can change each year, so always confirm against the official rules and the current moot problem.

Moot	Study first	Typical issues	Useful sources
Jessup	ICJ Statute (especially Article 38), Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, ILC Articles on State Responsibility	Jurisdiction and admissibility; State responsibility and attribution; use of force; law of the sea; human rights; environment; new topics such as cyber or space	ICJ judgments and advisory opinions; ILC commentaries; UN Charter; treaties in the problem
Henry Dunant (IHL)	Geneva Conventions of 1949, Additional Protocols I and II, Hague rules, the ICRC Customary IHL Study	Type of conflict (international or non-international); targeting, distinction, proportionality, precautions; protected persons, detention; humanitarian access; command responsibility; war crimes	ICRC IHL Databases and Commentaries; ICC Rome Statute; ICTY, ICTR and ICC case law
Stetson (environment)	Rio Declaration principles, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement, Convention on Biological Diversity, UNCLOS Part XII	Prevention and due diligence; precautionary principle; environmental impact assessment; shared resources; common but differentiated responsibilities; climate harm and remedies	ICJ cases such as Pulp Mills, Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros and Certain Activities; Trail Smelter; recent climate advisory opinions of international courts (check the current texts)
Vis (arbitration and CISG)	CISG text; the UNCITRAL Model Law; the arbitration rules named in the problem; IBA Rules on Taking of Evidence	Arbitration agreement and tribunal jurisdiction; procedural orders; document production; conformity of goods; notice of defects; remedies and damages	CISG case databases; CISG Advisory Council opinions; UNCITRAL Digest; textbooks on arbitration

For every international moot: read your own region’s position too. If the problem touches on Bangladesh’s region (rivers, maritime boundaries, refugees, climate, labour), judges may expect you to know the major regional cases and treaties.

Phrases bank (copy, adapt and practice)

Situation	Phrase
Starting	“May it please the Court.”
Introducing the team	“I appear with my co-counsel, [Name], for the Applicant.”
Starting a submission	“Turning to my first submission…”
Stating a claim	“It is submitted that…” / “The Applicant submits that…”
Giving a reason	“This is so for two reasons. First…”
Citing a source	“In support, the Applicant relies on [source], at paragraph [X].”
Reading a quote	“The Court observed that…”
Moving on	“Unless the Court has questions on this submission, I turn to…”
Answering a question	“Yes, Madam President, because…” / “No, my Lord, for this reason…”
Checking the question	“If I understand the Court’s concern, it is whether…”
Conceding a small point	“The Respondent accepts that. But it does not change the result because…”
Correcting yourself	“I stand corrected.”
Cannot answer	“I regret I am unable to assist the Court on that point.”
Disagreeing politely	“Respectfully, the Applicant’s submission is…”
Referring to the other side	“My learned friend” / “Counsel for the Respondent”
Asking for time	“The Court will see my time has expired. May I have thirty seconds to conclude this point?”
Closing	“For these reasons, the Applicant requests the Court to…” / “Unless I can assist the Court further, those are my submissions.”

Glossary in simple words

Term	Simple meaning
Admissibility	Whether the court should hear the claim even if it has power to do so
Attribution	Whether an act can be treated as the act of a State
Bench	The panel of judges
Burden of proof	Who must prove a point
Clarification	An official answer from organisers about the moot problem
Custom (customary law)	Rules that arise from consistent State practice and the belief that they are legally required
Erga omnes	Duties owed to the whole international community
Jurisdiction	The court’s power to hear and decide the case
Jus cogens	Rules so basic that no treaty can override them
Lex specialis	The more specific rule beats the general rule
Memorial	The written argument of a team
Non-refoulement	The duty not to send a person to a place where they face serious harm
Obiter dictum	A side comment in a judgment, not binding
Opinio juris	The belief that a practice is required by law
Pacta sunt servanda	Treaties must be kept in good faith
Pinpoint	The exact paragraph or page of a source
Prayer for relief	The exact orders you ask the court to make
Ratio decidendi	The reasoning that was necessary to the decision
Rebuttal	A short reply to the other side’s argument
Roadmap (split)	A short list of the points you will make
Signposting	Telling the judge where you are in your argument
State practice	What States actually do
Surrebuttal	A short reply to a rebuttal
Travaux préparatoires	Drafting history of a treaty

A final word to new mooters

You will make mistakes. You will forget a case name, stumble on a question, or lose a round you thought you won. That is how every good advocate began. If you read carefully, write clearly, practice honestly and treat judges, opponents and teammates with respect, you will improve in every round. Start early, keep it simple, and enjoy the work.