The spring intramural Jessup competition is modeled after the International Law Students Association Jessup International Competition to prepare students for participation on the International Jessup team (if they so desire and are chosen) the following year.  Working in pairs, each student writes approximately 12 pages advocating his/her position.  Oral arguments consist of an approximately 15 minute presentation before a bench.  The competition gives students the opportunity to develop and improve their memorial (brief) writing skills, gain experience in oral advocacy, learn about the substance and procedure of international law, and discover how the International Court of Justice operates.  The Jessup problem features current and exciting issues of international law. 

The top five students with the highest combined memorial and oral argument scores from the Jessup intramural competition will comprise the college’s International Jessup Team for the following academic year.  The Best Advocate (scoring the highest combined memorial and oral argument score) from the Jessup Competition receives the honor of serving as Captain of the Jessup International Team the following academic year.

The prestigious Jessup International Moot Court Competition is held in memory of the late Judge Phillip C. Jessup, an American judge who sat on the International Court of Justice in The Hague.  The International Jessup competition provides students with an incomparable opportunity to compete not only with teams from more than one hundred American law schools, but also with teams from Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, and South America.  It is directed and administered by the American Society of International Law through the International Law Students Association (ILSA).  Please see http://www.ilsa.org/jessup/ for more information.