Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

With participants from over 500 law schools in more than 80 countries, the Jessup Competition is the world’s largest moot court competition. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. The Jessup Competition is a demanding but very rewarding competition that offers an excellent opportunity for improving oral advocacy, writing, research, and collaboration skills, and for developing expertise on cutting-edge international legal issues. More information is available on the Jessup competition website.

Who Can Participate?

One team is allowed to participate from every eligible school. Teams prepare oral and written pleadings arguing both the applicant and respondent positions of the case. Most teams must first compete in national and regional competitions (mostly held in January-March) to earn the right to advance to the White & Case International Rounds held every spring in Washington, D.C.

Each year, a faculty selection committee will select up to five UC Irvine Law students to participate. It is anticipated that application instructions will be distributed each year in late spring or early summer. Only second- and third-year law students are eligible. Selected students will earn 1 unit of academic credit for Jessup Moot Court in the spring semester; the course is offered only on an ungraded (S/U) basis.

Contact

Please contact Professor Whytock, faculty advisor, at cwhytock@law.uci.edu with any questions.

After careful reflection, the Law School has decided that there will be no competitions involving first-year law students. The first year of law school has enough pressures without adding competitions and there are ample opportunities for students to participate in Moot Court, Mock Trial and Negotiations/Transactional competitions in their second and third years.