The Jessup Moot Court Competition is the world's largest and most prestigious moot court competition, with participants from approximately 700 law schools in 100 countries and jurisdictions.
The Jessup Moot Court Competition is the world's largest and most prestigious moot court competition, with participants from approximately 700 law schools in 100 countries and jurisdictions. Founded in 1960, the competition simulates a fictional case between different countries before the International Court of Justice, the main court of the United Nations. Law students from all over the world participate in this competition, which test their legal knowledge, as well as their skills in oral and written pleadings.
One team is allowed to participate from each university. Each team is composed of a group of law students or students enrolled in a degree related to international law who, mentored by their coaches, plead against other teams to address issues under international public law.
Each team prepares two written memorials and two 45-minute oral pleadings, arguing alternately as applicant and respondent, before a panel of three judges, simulating the proceeding before the International Court of Justice.
National rounds
The national rounds are an important phase of the Jessup Moot Court Competition where teams from different universities in the same country compete against each other for a place in the international rounds. These rounds enable the participants to show their advocate skills and obtain acknowledgment at national level before facing teams from different jurisdictions.
Cuatrecasas has been hosting and coordinating the Spanish rounds in its offices since 2010, providing resources, expert judges, and an environment and organization that ensure the excellent development of the competition.
The event is carried out over several days at our Barcelona and Madrid offices. The teams compete in preliminary rounds, semi-final rounds and, after, the championship round. The winning team represents Spain in the international rounds in Washington D.C.
Schedule of Spanish national rounds:
Key Players
Students studying a law degree, or a degree related to international law at a Spanish university can compete on behalf of that university if they are enrolled at least part-time and have not engaged in the practice of law after graduating from another law degree program.
The Jessup Competition is evaluated by a group of lawyers with international experience that participate voluntarily. They collaborate during all the rounds of the competition to evaluate and score the competitors’ written and oral pleadings.
Each year, two of our firm’s lawyers act as administrators of the national rounds. Administrators keep contact with all the teams and ensure the correct organization of the national rounds.
Bailiffs have the important role of ensuring the orderly and efficient running of the proceedings. They are responsible for keeping order in the simulated courtroom, helping both the judges and the participating teams.
Eligibility requirements
Students of a law degree, master for admission to the practice of law or a degree related to international law at a Spanish university.
Each university will form a team of a maximum of five members which it can choose based on its own criteria. It also chooses the coaches, who can be professors, lawyers, graduate students and former Jessup competitors.
Forming a team
Forming a team for the Jessup Moot Court Competition requires planning and dedication.
If your university does not have a Jessup team, we recommend seeking the support of academics at the faculty that are experts in international law or are familiar with the competition.
The next step is forming a team of between two and five students and registering the team at the ILSA Executive Office at jessup@ilsa.org.
ILSA recommends that new teams read the White & Case Jessup Guide, a student-focused guide to working with the Jessup problem, researching international law, writing memorials and presenting oral arguments.
Awards
The Jessup Moot Court Competition offers various awards, both at the national and international rounds:
- Best Applicant Memorial: Acknowledgment of the teams with the best applicant memorial.
- Best Respondent Memorial: Acknowledgment of the teams with the best respondent memorial.
- Best Oralist: Granted to the three participants with the best oratory skills.
- Winning team: Granted to the winning team of the final round. The winning team of the national rounds represents its country in the international rounds.
- Runners Up: Granted to the team that obtains the second-best score in the national rounds. In the Spanish 2025 national rounds edition, the Runner-up team of the national rounds represents Spain as an Exhibition Team.
Cuatrecasas also gives the Winning Team a monetary prize to cover the costs of participating in the international rounds in Washington D.C.