2026

Santa Clara Law joined other law schools from around the world in Singapore and Indonesia for the Jean-Pictet Competition, held from March 22 to March 29, 2026. The competition served as an international humanitarian law training opportunity for students. Tori Brea (3L), Asha Kadakia (3L), and Morgan Botelle (3L) competed all the way to the semi-finals, a first for Santa Clara Law in over a decade.
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Candidates were vetted through a rigorous, semester-long process of extensive legal writing and briefing, and Santa Clara Law’s team was selected from a pool of over 200 international law programs worldwide. The team underwent an intensive series of eight competitive rounds, including a comprehensive field test to evaluate the real-world application of legal principles and trial strategy. 

Kadakia said, “It was an honor to be chosen to represent Santa Clara on the international stage. For me personally, law school can at times feel abstract, but the Jean-Pictet Competition gave me the opportunity to make the law feel tangible. As a 3L, I have been thinking a lot about what will stay with me once law school is over, and I know Jean-Pictet will be an experience I treasure long after I graduate. It pushed me well beyond my comfort zone by testing my ability to respond under pressure, but the experience has affirmed my resolve to work in the public interest sphere.” 

Botelle added, “The competition pushed us far beyond classroom learning, requiring us to apply the law in fast-paced, realistic simulations involving complex legal and ethical challenges. It was a rare opportunity to develop practical skills while engaging directly with the realities of armed conflict.”

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The team’s success in reaching this elite competition is due to rigorous preparation and guidance by Santa Clara Law’s faculty and competition mentors. Faculty advisor Melody Sequoia provided strategic oversight and coaches Quinn Youngs and Taylor Dalton showed tremendous commitment to the team’s development. Brea spoke highly of the coaches, stating, “Success would not have been possible without the support of our coach and former SCU student, Quinn Youngs, and Professor Dalton. In their own ways, they helped us not only learn the law but also understand how to apply it in real-life situations that we would face during our simulations.”
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After eight rounds, the team placed within the top five within their bracket and were selected to move into the semi-finals. “Jean-Pictet put us in scenarios that pushed us to think on our feet and translate the theory of international humanitarian law into practice. I appreciated the competition’s emphasis on showing how legal knowledge is crucial in shaping responses to critical humanitarian crises. This experience has reinforced both the relevance of my legal education and my hope to make a concrete impact beyond the classroom,” said Kadakia.

As the team returns from Singapore and Indonesia, their experience at the Jean-Pictet Competition demonstrates the global reach of Santa Clara Law. Santa Clara Law is eager to see how these three students will leverage their experiences in their professional journeys.