Jessup Moot Court Competition

The 2023-2024 Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition

The Jessup Competition is the world’s largest and most prestigious moot court competition, and the oldest moot court competition dedicated to international law. The competition attracts students from over 550 law schools in more than 80 countries.

The Competition is based on a hypothetical dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice. Teams of five law students prepare oral and written pleadings for both the Applicant and Respondent. Released each year on September 1, the Jessup problem or “Compromis” is famous for presenting complex and timely issues of public international law. Recent topics have included the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction, international free speech law, international environmental law, the right to self-determination, international human rights, and terrorism.

Reasons to get involved

  • You will represent the Boston University School of Law in the largest and most prestigious moot court competition in the world.
  • You will acquire practical legal writing and oral advocacy skills that impress employers.
  • You will increase your fluency in international law, legal institutions and procedures.
  • You will collaborate with four other smart BU law students to tackle cutting-edge problems in international law.
  • Jessup is a great opportunity to meet and network with preeminent international lawyers and other aspiring practitioners from all over the country.

Jessup and coursework

Jessup will be offered as part of a year-long 2-credit course (one credit per semester) entitled Problem Solving in International Law. The course will meet every two weeks for two hours, at times to be determined at the first class session. Associate Director of the Law Library Stefanie Weigmann will teach the course and advise the team.

Initial class sessions after the release of the Compromis will cover the basic framework of the competition, general principles of International Law, and research methods.

Initial drafts of memorials will come due in October and will go through two revisions thereafter before the team submits them to the ILSA Executive Office in mid-January. Beginning in October and extending through January, the team will engage in a number of mooting exercises (4-6 in total) to prepare for the regional competitions in early February. Recognized international law experts and others on the BU faculty will serve as judges in the practice moots.

Finally, Ms. Weigmann and the BU team will travel to the National Regional in early February. Hopefully, the team will advance to the International Tournament to be held in late March or early April in Washington D.C. If the team does not advance, additional class meetings will take place in the Spring and students will write short scholarly papers on issues relating to the Compromis.

How to apply

The application for next year’s team is now open and can be filled out here. Applications are due May 25, 2023. Please log in with your BU email to complete the form.

Eligibility:

  • International Law is a pre-requisite or co-requisite course. Equivalent experience may be acceptable; explanation required.
  • Students must be available to participate in the regional competition in early February and the International Tournament in early April.

    Further information about the competition can be found at https://www.ilsa.org/jessuphome

    If you have any additional questions, please email Stefanie Weigmann at sweig@bu.edu