The **Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition** is an international moot court event organised annually by the International Institute of Space Law (IISL) - wikipedia 
It centres on legal issues arising from outer-space activities — for example satellite collisions, military uses of space, lunar and planetary resource rights, liability in space, and novel governance frameworks for off-Earth operations.
The competition is named in honour of Manfred Lachs (1914–1993), a pioneering jurist of the International Court of Justice who made key contributions to the law of outer space.
## History - The inaugural event was held in 1992 (or 1993 depending on region) under the aegis of AUSMIISL and a few U.S. law-schools. - Over time, it expanded to include five world regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America. - Participation has steadily grown: more than 60 teams register annually.
# Written Stage Each registered team submits two written memorials: one posing as the Applicant and one as the Respondent. These must follow strict formatting and anonymisation guidelines.
# Regional Rounds After the written stage, teams compete in regional oral rounds. Winners of each region qualify for the World Finals. Regions include Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America.
### World Finals Held during the same period as the IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space (in conjunction with the International Astronautical Congress). The finals are typically judged by three sitting judges from the International Court of Justice — a hallmark of the competition’s prestige.
# Topics Addressed The competition problem each year is a hypothetical space-law dispute crafted by experts. Past issues have included: - Collision between satellites and determining liability - National security or military uses of outer space - Rights to lunar/asteroid resources - Governance of space habitats or orbital debris regulation
# Impact and Reputation The Manfred Lachs Moot is widely regarded as the premier moot court competition in space law. Many alumni go on to careers in international space law, government policy, or commercial space regulation.
# Eligibility & Participation Teams are typically drawn from law schools (LL.B, J.D, LL.M) though non-law schools may participate if they show relevant space-law content. Advisors must be faculty and each team registers by a deadline with memorial submissions. Regional organisers often offer support, travel funding for finalists, and prize incentives (e.g., European rounds may include internship awards).
## Significance - It helps build advocacy, legal research and writing skills in the context of emerging space governance. - It engages young scholars globally in the key legal questions of outer space—liability, resource use, military applications, environment. - It fosters a community of future space-law practitioners, promoting international collaboration.
# Recent Example In the 2025 edition, the North American Regional was won by New York University School of Law. The World Final included judges from the ICJ.
# Past World Final Winners
- **2025:** New York University (USA) - iilj.org
- **2024:** Singapore Management University (Singapore) - iisl.space
- **2023:** China University of Political Science and Law (China) - wikipedia
- **2022:** Leiden University (Netherlands) - universiteitleiden.nl
- **2021:** The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple (UK) - iisl.space
- **2010:** George Washington University (USA)
# Sources
- iisl.space – Official page
- News article