Philip C. Jessup Library

Dating back to 1960, the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition has provided foreign and domestic law schools with the unique opportunity to argue complex and timely questions of international law. It is the oldest moot court competition dedicated to international law, and with participants from more than 700 law schools in more than 100 countries and jurisdictions, it is the world’s largest as well.

Each competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. Every year, teams are required to research, draft, and orally defend memorials or legal briefs in response to the hypothetical dispute conceived by leading international legal scholars and practitioners. The global administration of the competition is undertaken by the International Law Students Association (ILSA), a nonprofit association of students and lawyers who are dedicated to the promotion of international law.

The Philip C. Jessup Library is the most comprehensive published source for the materials of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and serves as a valuable reference source, preparatory tool, and important aid for any Competition hopeful.

This indispensable compilation of moot court competition resources draws together the problems, judges’ briefs, rules, and leading written memorials drawn from each year’s competition and enhances the law student’s ability to grasp the practical side of the law field by presenting award-winning responses to globally relevant cases or problems.