On the morning of May 25, the semifinals of the second China-EU School of Law (CESL) Cup International Legal Talents Competition of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) commenced at its Haidian campus. The CESL Cup International Legal Talents Competition, abbreviated as the CESL Cup, is an innovative and comprehensive competition initiated by CUPL in international legal talent training in China. It is open to law students nationwide. The competition is organized by the China-EU School of Law at CUPL and is supported by Zhong Lun Law Firm LLP and the China University of Political Science and Law Education Foundation. The CESL Cup aims to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on strengthening the training of international legal professionals. It serves the Party's and the country's strategic needs, providing an open platform for cultivating international legal talent through an all-English legal competition.
(Group photo of the opening ceremony, photo by Yin Jianfeng)
Prof. Ma, President of CUPL, and Zhang Xuebing, Director of Zhong Lun Law Firm LLP, attended the opening ceremony. All participating contestants and judges from various universities and practical sectors attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Liu Fei, Chinese Joint Dean of the CESL.
(CUPL President Ma delivering a speech, photo by Yin Jianfeng)
President Ma pointed out that during the 10th group learning session of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to foster professional talents and build well-organized teams, adhere to moral education and the combination of virtue and law, and cultivate a group of international legal talents with firm political stands, solid professional skills, familiarity with international rules, and proficiency in international legal practice as soon as possible. In recent years, CUPL has been actively exploring reforms in training international legal talents and striving to cultivate high-caliber international legal professionals. The CESL Cup is an important aspect of CUPL's efforts in this area and holds significant importance in the national reform of international legal talent training. He hoped that the participating students would compete, showcase their talents, learn from each other, and make joint progress, pacing up to cultivate qualified international legal talents and actively serving national strategies.
(Zhang Xuebing delivering a speech, photo by Yin Jianfeng)
Zhang Xuebing emphasized that the burgeoning demand for international legal professionals is in lockstep with the nation's economic growth. The competition, a timely initiative, is designed to align with contemporary trends and to cultivate a new generation of distinguished talents dedicated to China's international legal arena.
The CESL Cup has garnered widespread attention from law students nationwide. Conducted in English, the competition encompasses preliminary and semifinal stages, with an impressive 170 participants from 74 law schools nationwide advancing to the preliminaries.
(Wang Liyan presenting the first prize of the CESL Cup to the winners, photo by Lu Yunkai)
On the afternoon of May 26, the grand finale and awards ceremony were held. Wang Liyan, Deputy Council Chair of CUPL, and Wang Jihong, Senior Advisor of Zhong Lun Law Firm LLP, offered their closing addresses and honored the participants with their well-deserved awards. Liu Fei, Chinese Co-Dean of CESL, presided over the closing ceremony.
(Closing ceremony group photo, photo by Lu Yunkai)
This year's competition ultimately awarded three first-place, five second-place, and ten third-place awards for the CESL Cup. Two "International Legal Talent Style Awards" and five "International Legal Talent Team Cooperation Awards" were also given. The winners were further honored with the "Zhong Lun International Talent Scholarship," a testament to their exceptional achievements. The CESL Cup serves as a vital platform for law students from across the nation to showcase their skills and knowledge.
