Philip C Jessup International Law Mooting Competition
Print versionKing’s takes on the world!
The Jessup is the world's largest and most prestigious moot court competition. Organised by the International Law Students Association, it engages participants from over 500 law schools in more than 80 countries. King’s has an excellent record in the competition, winning the National Competition in 2006 and 2007, with the 2007 team reaching the International Grand Final in Washington DC, the best placed result for a UK team in 30 years. It is very important that we maintain and improve on that.
The competition
The Jessup simulates a dispute between two or more countries before the International Court of Justice. The past moot problems included a wide range of problematic and widely debated questions of international law such as: the international use of force, legality of torture, the practice of extraordinary rendition, imposition of the death penalty, deployment of humanitarian missions, interpretation of international investment treaties and many more.
Unlike English mooting competitions, the problem remains the same throughout, and the team represents both parties. The problem is released at the end of September; written memorials must then be submitted in January of the following calendar year. The national rounds are in February, and the best performing teams go to Washington DC in March for the international rounds, culminating in the Grand Final, often before real ICJ judges.
For more information, please visit the Jessup website.
Unlike English mooting competitions, the problem remains the same throughout, and the team represents both parties. The problem is released at the end of September; written memorials must then be submitted in January of the following calendar year. The national rounds are in February, and the best performing teams go to Washington DC in March for the international rounds, culminating in the Grand Final, often before real ICJ judges.
For more information, please visit the Jessup website.
What is involved?
The Jessup is a fantastic opportunity to hone your research, writing and mooting skills to the highest level, and, assuming you do well, it looks superb on the CV. Nor is there any better way to learn international law, and you will have to familiarise yourself with problems at the cutting edge of the field. You will receive a great deal of coaching, so it is not necessary to have studied international law or mooted prior to joining the team, though of course it is helpful to have done so.
However, the competition represents a substantial time commitment, and you will have to work very hard, probably to the exclusion of any other major extracurricular activity. That said, we have not found that participation in the competition prevents the team from performing well academically, or from maintaining an acceptable social life.
At least one member of the team will be a researcher. This role would suit a student who is keen to participate but wishes to avoid the pressures of public speaking.
If you have any further questions, please send them to martyna.budzynska@kcl.ac.uk.
However, the competition represents a substantial time commitment, and you will have to work very hard, probably to the exclusion of any other major extracurricular activity. That said, we have not found that participation in the competition prevents the team from performing well academically, or from maintaining an acceptable social life.
At least one member of the team will be a researcher. This role would suit a student who is keen to participate but wishes to avoid the pressures of public speaking.
If you have any further questions, please send them to martyna.budzynska@kcl.ac.uk.