Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, also known as the Jessup Moot, is the oldest and largest international moot competition in the world, attracting participants from almost 700 law schools in more than 90 countries in recent years (100 countries took part in 2018).[3][4][5][6][7] The competition has been described as the most prestigious moot court competition in the world by a large number of organisations and universities internationally, and is one of the grand slam or major moots.[8][9][10]

Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
The Jessup Moot simulates proceedings before the ICJ
Established1960 (1968 for international rounds)
VenueWashington DC
Subject matterPublic international law
ClassGrand Slam[1][2]
Record participation675 teams (2014)
QualificationNational/regional rounds
Most championshipsUniversity of Sydney (5)
Websitehttps://www.ilsa.org/about-jessup/

The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is named after Philip Jessup, who once served on the ICJ, and is organised by the International Law Students Association. The moot, under the leadership of Stephen Schwebel (who also wrote the inaugural moot problem),[11] started as a friendly advocacy competition between two teams from Harvard University in 1960.[12] The first champions were declared in 1963 and the competition opened its doors to non-American teams in 1968. The current sponsor of the international rounds of the moot is White & Case.

Moot format

The Jessup Cup circa 2007
The first day briefing of the 2007 competition
International Court of Justice judges Xue Hanqin, Ronny Abraham, and Julia Sebutinde judging the 2013 international final between Singapore Management University and National Law School of India University. Sebutinde would judge again in the 2014 international final between Singapore Management University and University of Queensland.

The Jessup moot involves arguing a hypothetical case on issues of international law as if before the International Court of Justice, but with a smaller complement of judges (three instead of 15). The International Law Students Association Board is responsible for soliciting and selecting proposals for the compromis every year.

Each team comprises two to five student members. Each team must prepare to argue the sides of both the Applicant and Respondent in the case, and must produce a written memorial for each side of the case. In each oral round, two competitors from a team will argue one side of the case for 45 minutes in total, including any time reserved for rebuttal or sur-rebuttal. A third team member may be seated at the bar table as of-counsel, but may not present argument. There is no fixed team organisation. Some teams dedicate two oralists to each side of the argument, with the fifth person serving a more open-ended role. In other teams, only two or three speakers will present oral argument, with at least one person arguing both Applicant and Respondent sides. In addition, most teams include at least one advisor or coach, usually drawn from the respective universities' international law faculty and/or past Jessup competitors.

Most countries hold national or regional rounds to select the best team or teams to advance to the international phase of the competition in Washington D.C., which is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law. Generally, each country can only send one school for every ten law schools that participate in the moot. For instance, the United States, which has more than a hundred law schools taking part each year, is represented by up to 12 teams following the conclusion of its six regional rounds, while smaller countries that have only a small number of law schools can only send one team. Domestic round administrators have some autonomy in setting their own rules. In recent years, around 700 schools worldwide participate in the competition, with the top 140 or so qualifying for the international rounds in Washington D.C. Teams that do not qualify may be invited to participate in exhibition rounds.

In Washington D.C., teams compete in four preliminary rounds, with the top 32 teams advancing to the knockout stages (Round of 32, Octo-final, Quarter-final, Semi-Final, and Final); this number changed to 40 from 2020 onwards, with the top 24 advancing to the Round of 32 directly and the next 16 teams participating in a run-off. Each oral round and memorial is usually evaluated by a panel of three judges. Judges for most of the rounds in Washington D.C. are usually practicing lawyers or academics, while notable academics and international judges are usually invited to judge the Semi-Final and Final round matches.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the oral rounds for the first time. For the 2020/21 edition, the oral rounds would go fully online, and all teams would be allowed to participate regardless of the outcome of any national or regional round.

Past winners and records (international rounds)

Although the moot was founded in 1960, no winners were declared for the first three editions of the competition. The competition was only first open to countries outside of the United States in 1968, and outside of North America in 1970.[12] The first international awards were handed out in 1972.

Pre-international era (1960 to 1967)

YearChampionRunner-upSemi-finalistsMemorial winners[13]No. of teams
1960No Champion Declared2
1961No Champion Declared4
1962No Champion Declared6
1963Columbia University (United States)University of North Carolina (United States)Overall: Columbia University (United States)8
1964University of Texas (United States)Overall: University of Texas (United States)15
1965Columbia University (United States)University of Virginia (United States)Overall: Columbia University (United States)16
1966University of Texas (United States)University of Wisconsin (United States)Overall: University of Texas (United States)27
1967Vanderbilt University (United States)Harvard University (United States)Overall: Vanderbilt University (United States)35

International era (1968 to present)

Year[14]ChampionRunner-upSemi-finalistsMemorial winners[13]No. of teams worldwideNo. of teams at international rounds[15]Exhibition round winner (no. of teams)
1968Duke University (United States)University of Miami (United States)Overall: Duke University (United States)326
1969Rutgers University (United States)
University of Michigan (United States)
Overall: California Western University (United States)408
1970University of Miami (United States)University of Kentucky (United States)Overall: University of Miami (United States)569
1971University of Texas (United States)University of California at Davis (United States)Overall: Vanderbilt University (United States)739
1972University of Miami (United States)Haile Selassie I University (Ethiopia)Overall: Haile Selassie I University (Ethiopia)9916
1973West Virginia University (United States)Brunel University (UK)Evans Award: State University of Utrecht (Netherlands)9417
1974University of Texas (United States)Haile Selassie I University (Ethiopia)Evans Award: University of Nigeria (Nigeria)10318
1975Cambridge University (UK)Georgetown University (United States)Evans Award: University of Toronto (Canada)11920
1976University of Toronto (Canada)American University (United States)Evans Award: University of Toronto (Canada)13422
1977University of Kansas (United States)University of Toronto (Canada)Overall: University of Toronto (Canada)15729
1978Brooklyn Law School (United States)University of Toronto (Canada)Applicant: University of Toronto (Canada)
Respondent: University of Toronto (Canada)
15420
1979Northwestern University (United States)University of Adelaide (Australia)Applicant: University of the Philippines (Philippines)
Respondent: University of the Philippines (Philippines)
18734
1980Georgetown University (United States)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: University of Washington (United States)
Respondent: University of Washington (United States)
19635
1981Australian National University (Australia)University of the Pacific (United States)Applicant: University of Georgia (United States)
Respondent: Washington and Lee University (United States)
18128
1982National University of Singapore (Singapore)University of the Pacific (United States)Applicant: National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Respondent: Fordham University (United States)
19729
1983University of Kansas (United States)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: Fordham University (United States)
Respondent: Fordham University (United States)
20630
1984Dalhousie University (Canada)South Texas College of Law (United States)Applicant: Freie Universitaet (Germany)
Respondent: Freie Universitaet (Germany)
19733
1985National University of Singapore (Singapore)Southwestern University School of Law (United States)Applicant: Monash University (Australia)
Respondent: Monash University (Australia)
21336
1986Boston College (United States)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: Boston College (United States)
Respondent: Boston College (United States)
21438
1987Georgetown University (United States)Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)Applicant: National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Respondent: National University of Singapore (Singapore)
26840
1988University of Melbourne (Australia)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: Southern Illinois University (United States)
Respondent: Southern Illinois University (United States)
26539
1989University of British Columbia (Canada)University of Melbourne (Australia)Applicant: University of British Columbia (Canada)
Respondent: University of British Columbia (Canada)
25939
1990University of Georgia (United States)University of Toronto (Canada)Applicant: South Texas College of Law (United States)
Respondent: University of Melbourne (Australia)
25340
1991University of Saskatchewan (Canada)University of Georgia (United States)Applicant: University of Georgia (United States)
Respondent: University of Georgia (United States)
24342
1992Universite de Paris I (France)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: University of the Pacific (United States)
Respondent: University of Washington (United States)
24233
1993University of Melbourne (Australia)University of Hawaii (United States)Applicant: University of Minnesota (United States)
Respondent: Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai (India)
26143
1994National University of Singapore (Singapore)University of Melbourne (Australia)Applicant: International Islamic University (Malaysia)
Respondent: University of Alabama (United States)
26947
1995University of the Philippines (Philippines)University of Western Australia (Australia)Applicant: University of Alabama (United States)
Respondent: University of Hawaii (United States)
25949
1996University of Sydney (Australia)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Applicant: National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Respondent: University of Vienna (Austria)
30054
1997Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)University of Calgary (Canada)Evans Award: University of Vienna (Austria)28055
1998Universidad Autonoma Nacional de Mexico (Mexico)Australian National University (Australia)Applicant: University of Hawaii (United States)
Respondent: University of Hawaii (United States)
27557
1999National Law School of India University (India)University of Pretoria (South Africa)Applicant: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
Respondent: University of Saskatchewan (Canada)
27562
2000University of Melbourne (Australia)Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)Applicant: University of Alabama (United States)
Respondent: International Islamic University (Malaysia)
28767
2001National University of Singapore (Singapore)Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)Applicant: New England School of Law (United States)
Respondent: University of Vienna (Austria)
30968
2002University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)University of Western Australia (Australia)Harvard University (United States)
University of Otago (New Zealand)
Applicant: University of Otago (New Zealand)
Respondent: Harvard University (United States)
38475
2003University of Western Australia (Australia)Mari State University (Russia)Columbia University (United States)
Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)
Applicant: Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)
Respondent: Bond University (Australia)
48183
2004Ateneo Law School (Philippines)National University of Singapore (Singapore)Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (Mexico)
University of Vienna (Austria)
Applicant: Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)
Respondent: University of Queensland (Australia)
52494
2005University of Queensland (Australia)International Islamic University (Malaysia)Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
American University (United States)
Applicant: Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)
Respondent: Columbia University (United States)
543103
2006Columbia University (United States)Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)NALSAR University of Law (India)
University of Cape Town (South Africa)
Applicant: Hong Kong University (Hong Kong)
Respondent: University of Kiel (Germany)
565101
2007University of Sydney (Australia)King's College London (UK)National University of Singapore (Singapore)
University of Queensland (Australia)
Applicant: Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Respondent: Washington University in Saint Louis (United States)
101(7)
2008Case Western Reserve University (United States)University of New South Wales (Australia)University College London (UK)
National Law School of India University (India)
Applicant: Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)
Respondent: University of Ottawa (Canada)
110
2009Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)University College London (UK)Aristotle University (Greece)
Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Applicant: King's College London (UK)
Respondent: University of Sydney (Australia)
2010Australian National University (Australia)Columbia University (United States)NALSAR University of Law (India)
University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Applicant: National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Respondent: Australian National University (Australia)
127(14)
2011University of Sydney (Australia)Columbia University (United States)National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Norman Manley Law School (Jamaica)
Applicant: Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
Respondent: Xiamen University (China)
Singapore Management University (Singapore) (24)
2012Moscow State University (Russia)Columbia University (United States)University of the Philippines (Philippines)
Auckland University (New Zealand)
Applicant: National Law School of India University (India)
Respondent: Columbia University (United States)
605137Singapore Management University (Singapore) (36)
2013National Law School of India University (India)Singapore Management University (Singapore)Columbia University (United States)
Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Applicant: Universite de Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
Respondent: National Law University, Delhi (India)
632Universidad del Rosario (Colombia)
2014University of Queensland (Australia)Singapore Management University (Singapore)Columbia University (United States)
King's College London (UK)
Applicant: University of Queensland (Australia)
Respondent: Universitas Pelita Harapan (Indonesia)
675124Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) (10)
2015University of Sydney (Australia)Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Chile)Oxford University (UK)
University of Western Australia (Australia)
Applicant: University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria)
Respondent: University of Pennsylvania (United States)
127Ateneo Law School (The Philippines) (14)
2016Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)University of Pennsylvania (United States)Columbia University (United States)
King's College London (UK)
Applicant: Columbia University (United States)
Respondent: Columbia University (United States)
132Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) (20)
2017University of Sydney (Australia)Norman Manley Law School (Jamaica)National Law University Odisha (India)
University of Western Ontario (Canada)
Applicant: University of the Philippines (Philippines)
Respondent: University of Queensland (Australia)
650143Belarusian State University Faculty of International Relations (Belarus) (18)
2018University of Queensland (Australia)National Law School of India University (India)Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Chile)
King's College London (UK)
Applicant: University of San Carlos (Philippines)
Respondent: University of Pretoria (South Africa)
600145? (14)
2019Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary)Columbia University (United States)National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Yale University (United States)
Applicant: National Law University, Jodhpur (India)
Respondent: Auckland University (New Zealand)
600124? (19)
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19NANAApplicant: Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Respondent: Sofia University (Bulgaria)
NANANA (19)

Track record (international rounds)

The University of Sydney has won the most number of championships, winning the Jessup Cup five times. National University of Singapore has the second best record (four times champions; seven times runner-up) and also the most Baxter Awards (five), Evans Awards (four), Best Oralist titles (four), and Best Finals Oralist titles (six).[12] Five law schools have made the final on their international debuts: Australian National University (1981); Dalhousie University (1984); University of Saskatchewan (1991); University of Western Australia (1995); and Singapore Management University (2013). Of these schools, ANU, Dalhousie, and Saskatchewan won their finals. SMU is the fastest ever law school to reach the international final relative to its debut in the competition (2011), and is also the youngest ever law school to reach the international final (the first batch graduated in 2011) and back-to-back international finals (2013 and 2014).

University (1968 to 2020)

UniversityChampionRunner-upBaxter Award (1st)[16] or Best MemorialDillard Award (1st)[17]Evans Award (1st)[18]Best oralist (1st)Best finals oralistLast championshipLast finals appearanceDebut/Debut in international rounds
University of Sydney (Australia)501 (2011)1 (2007)4 (1996; 1998; 2000; 2015)3 (2007; 2015; 2017)201720171977/1991
National University of Singapore (Singapore)475 (1982; 1987; 1987; 1996; 2010)4 (1982; 1983; 1985; 1987)4 (1976; 1988; 1989; 2016)6 (1980; 1982; 1985; 1996; 2001; 2004)200120041973/1973
University of Melbourne (Australia)321 (1990)1 (2000)2 (1988; 1993)1 (2012)4 (1988; 1993; 1994; 2000)200020001977/1980
University of Queensland (Australia)303 (2004; 2014; 2017)1 (2017)1 (2014)201820181977/2002
Australian National University (Australia)211 (2010)2 (1981; 1998)1 (1981)2 (1981; 1998)201020101977/1981
University of Miami (United States)211 (1970)1 (1970)197219721968/1968
Georgetown University (United States)2101 (1987)19871987
University of Texas (United States)2 (excludes 2 before 1968)00 (excludes 2 before 1968)2 (1971; 1972)2 (1971; 1974)197419741968/1968
University of Kansas (United States)2002 (1977; 1983)19831983
National Law School of India University (India)211 (2012)2 (2013; 2018)20132018
Columbia University (United States)1 (excludes 2 before 1968)44 (2005; 2012; 2016 (2)) (excludes 2 before 1968)1 (2012)4 (1988; 2001; 2010; 2012)2 (2010; 2011) (excludes 1 before 1968)4 (2006; 2010; 2011; 2012)200620191968/1968
University of Toronto (Canada)133 (1977; 1978; 1978)4 (1975; 1976; 1977; 1978)3 (1977; 1983; 1990)2 (1976; 1990)197619901968/1970
Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (Venezuela)133 (2003; 2004; 2005)1 (2004)1 (2004)1 (1997)19972006
University of Western Australia (Australia)1201 (1999)2 (1997; 2003)3 (1995; 2002; 2003)200320031977/1995
University of Georgia (United States)113 (1981; 1991; 1991)2 (2001; 2004)1 (1991)19901991
University of the Philippines Diliman (Philippines)103 (1979 (2); 2017)1 (1979)2 (1975; 1979)19951995
Boston College (United States)102 (1986; 1986)1 (1990)1 (1986)19861986
University of British Columbia (Canada)102 (1989; 1989)1 (1995)1 (1989)198919891968/1980
University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)102 (2007; 2020)1 (2016)20162016
Vanderbilt University (United States)0 (excludes 1 before 1968)01 (1971) (excludes 1 before 1968)0 (excludes 1 before 1968)1968/
Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines)101 (2008)2 (2008; 2011)20042004
Dalhousie University (Canada)101 (1984)1 (1984)198419841968/1984
Case Western Reserve University (United States)101 (2011)1 (2008)20082008
University of Saskatchewan (Canada)101 (1999)199119911968/1991
Moscow State University (Russia)1020122012
Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)101 (2009)1 (2009)20092009
Cambridge University (UK)101 (1975)1 (1975)19751975
Université de Paris I (France)101 (1991)1 (1999)1 (1992)19921992
Brooklyn Law School (United States)101 (1978)19781978
University of Michigan (United States)1001 (2006)1 (1969)19691969
Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary)101 (2018)1 (2018)1 (2019)20192019
Duke University (United States)0 (excludes 1 before 1968)01 (1968)1 (1968)196819681968/1968
Haile Selassie I University (Ethiopia)021 (1972)1 (1974)1 (1972)NA1974
University of the Pacific (United States)020NA1982
Singapore Management University (Singapore)0200000NA20142011/2013
University of Hawaii (United States)013 (1995; 1998; 1998)1 (1993)1 (1995)1 (1993)NA1993
University of New South Wales (Australia)011 (2013)NA20081977/1983
University College, London (UK)011 (2008)NA2009
King's College, London (UK)011 (2009)1 (2009)NA2007
International Islamic University (Malaysia)012 (1994; 2000)1 (2000)1 (2005)NA2005
University of Calgary (Canada)011 (1998)1 (2005)NA19971968/1988
South Texas College of Law (United States)011NA1984
University of Adelaide (Australia)011 (1978)1 (1979)NA19791977/1977
Harvard University (United States)00 (excludes 1 before 1968)1 (2002)1 (2002)1 (2002)0 (excludes 1 before 1968)NA1968/
Southern Illinois University (United States)003 (1988 (2); 1992)2 (1989; 1992)1 (1992)1 (2006)NANA
University of Alabama (United States)003 (1994; 1995; 2000)1 (1994)NANA
Fordham University (United States)003 (1982; 1983; 1983)NANA
University of Vienna (Austria)002 (1996; 2001)3 (1997; 1999; 2003)NANA
University of Washington (United States)002 (1980; 1980)1 (1989)1 (1989)NANA
Monash University (Australia)002 (1985; 1985)1 (1985)1 (1985)NANA1977/1985
Washington University, St Louis (United States)001 (2007)1 (2005)2 (2007; 2014)NANA

Country (1968 to 2020)

CountryCap on teams at international roundsNumber of championships Number of runners-upNumber of finals appearancesLast championshipLast finals appearanceDebut
United States1217 (excludes 5 before 1968)13 (excludes 4 before 1968)31 (excludes 9 before 1968)200820191968
Australia213720201820181977
Singapore14913200120141973
Canada3448199119971968
India621320132018
Philippines220220042004
UK213419752009
Venezuela113419972006
Russia611220122012
South Africa211220022002
Colombia210120092009
France110119921992
Mexico210119981998
Argentina110120162016
Hungary110120192019
Ethiopia1022NA1974
Belgium2011NA1987
Chile2011NA2015
Malaysia1011NA2005

Notable former participants

Cultural impact

In 2013, White & Case commissioned a 95-minute documentary, All Rise, which followed the Jessup journeys of seven teams around the world; the film made its world premiere at Doc NYC.[27]

Notes and references

  1. "The 2017/18 International Moots Season in Review". October 8, 2018.
  2. https://lawgazette.com.sg/news/updates/international-moots-review-2/
  3. "ILSA". www.ilsa.org.
  4. "Santa Clara University". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
  5. "Search results". Tilburg University.
  6. "Faculty of Law - Civil Law section". Faculty of Law - Civil Law section.
  7. "UWA law students scoop Jessup Moot Competition".
  8. "Another Season of Record-Breaking International Moot Court Achievements (SMU) - The Law Gazette of Singapore". 1 November 2017.
  9. Ganz, Kian. "Mooting Premier League is back: MPL 7 sees Nalsar, UILS, NLS, NLIU lead after strong 2016 start". www.legallyindia.com.
  10. "International Law Students Association - the future of international law". www.ilsa.org.
  11. "1960 Jessup Competition". ilsa.org. International Law Students Association. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  12. In most cases this would refer to the Baxter Award for Best Applicant/Respondent Memorial
  13. https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup-history/
  14. Includes Exhibition Teams
  15. Best Applicant or Respondent Memorial
  16. Best Memorial for World Regional Rounds or Best Memorial from the National Rounds; Best Memorials from National Rounds and Top Memorials from International Rounds combined
  17. Best Memorial for International Rounds (from 1973 to 1976, the Evans Award was for Best Memorial)
  18. "An Interview with Hilary Charlesworth". anu.edu.au.
  19. "NUS - Faculty of Law : Asia's Global Law School - History & Milestones". law.nus.edu.sg.
  20. "Jessup 1996 Oralist Rankings" (PDF). www.ilsa.org.
  21. "AsiaOne". AsiaOne.
  22. "NUS Law Mooting and Debating Club | Jessup". nusmooting.
  23. "Jessup Moot Practice Round (with Drew and Napier LLC) - Justified". justified.nuslawclub.com.
  24. "Law school alumnus Sen. Marco Rubio running for U.S. president". 3 March 2016.
  25. http://law.nus.edu.sg/alumni/pdfs/LawLinkJul-Dec08.pdf
  26. https://www.docnyc.net/film/all-rise/
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