Jessup is the oldest and most prestigious international moot court competition. First held on Harvard campus in 1960, it has seen aspiring students from more than 550 law schools from more than 80 countries. The objectives of the competition are to promote the understanding of international law, and to a broader perspective, to offer law students a highly competent forum to horn their learning of critical legal skills. Many students who came through the competition went on to become important jurists, lawyers and policy makers, some serving now on the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
This years China competition will be held in Beijing Feb, 2015. The top five teams will advance to Washington grand final round.
Format of competition:
The competition is a simulation of the appeal of a fictional dispute before the ICJ. You are expected, as the attorney, to produce a persuasive legal brief for the court. You will then be called upon to a 40 minutes court argument before a panel of judges from around the world. You will be rigorously questioned during your arguments.
Training strategies:
Each week, the team members are expected to deliver a writing and an oral presentation on relevant issues of the law. Seminars and workshops on legal writing, research, oral communication and court presence will be held. You will have ample feedback from me and other faculty members and invited practitioners. We will also, of course, help you to networking opportunities.
The broader perspectives:
Make friends, network, discover the inspiration of the law and more.
In addition, there will be a Jessup Club, open to everyone who is interested in the learning of law. You can find more details on International Law Students Association - the future of international law - Jessup
If you are interested, please drop a note to卢熠jessupshufe@163.com, with the title Jessup Moot, indicating your interest in the team or the club.
The team selection process:
The selection process will be held in the first week of the semester. Interested students will receive last years competition materials, with the assignments of one or two issues to work on. You are expected to produce a legal brief, and present a 10-min argument to a panel of judges including several faculty members and current team members. You can expect rigorous questionings during your arguments.
