Objectives of the course
The Jessup Moot Court Competition aims to educate students in legal practice on public international law. The Competition stimulates team work to a very great extent.
Short description of the course
The Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Competition is organised by the International Law Students Association (ILSA) in Washington DC, USA, each year at the end of March/beginning of April and will last about a week. Teams consisting of two to five international law students from over fifty countries participate each year in this International Competition. The International Rounds include the International Preliminary Rounds, Quarterfinal and Semi-final Round and the World Championship Jessup Cup Round.Under the auspices of the ILSA each year a hypothetical case based upon a timely subject of international law is drafted by international scholars and practitioners. The competition requires students to brief and argue this hypothetical case on timely issues of international law as if they were appearing in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, The Netherlands. Each team shall present and argue the case on behalf of both the applicant and the respondent. Each team shall prepare an applicant and a respondent memorial in the English language. The memorials will be judged by memorial judges. Since the Netherlands may only participate with one team in the annual international rounds, a Dutch National Round is yearly organised by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut. The Dutch National Administrator, who has always been an employee of the Institute, forms together with four senior staff members from the Dutch universities and a staff member of the T.M.C. Asser Instituut the Organising Committee. Three to six Dutch university teams enter the preliminary national round so that one may be chosen to represent the Netherlands in Washington DC, USA.
Achievement levels
Knowledge:
After a successful completion of this course, the student has acquired knowledge of legal rules pertaining to a specific field of law, depending of the case chosen. Participation in the Jessup Moot Court Competition will also broaden their general understanding of international law.
Academic skills and attitude:
The course aims at training the ability to investigate independently or in small groups relevant issues of both procedural and substantive law on the basis of knowledge gained in courses over the year. On the basis of this work, students should provide legal advice within a relatively short period of time. Students will have to use their academic skills and their creativity in finding arguments to defend a particular position. The writing and oral skills of students as developed throughout the year are further improved in this course. This course prepares students for international legal practice.
Coördinator
Name: Thomas Skouteris
Work address: Campus The Hague, Lange Voorhout 44.
Contact information:
Telephone number: 06-46755754
E-mail: t.skouteris@law.leidenuniv.nl
Departement/division
Departement: Public Law
Division: Public International Law
Room number secretariat: KOG, Office B1.21
Opening hours: 9.00-17.00 hrs
Telephone number secretariat: 071-5277578
E-mail: e.h.uiterweerd@law.leidenuniv.nl
Onderwijsvormen
Lectures
None
Seminars
None
Other methods of instruction
Students meet with their coaches on a regular weekly basis.
Studiemateriaal
Obligatory course materials
None.
Rooster
No specific time table. Time lines are determined by the Jessup Moot Court Competition.