Jessup has been organized annually by the International Law Students Association (ILSA) with the support of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) since 1959. The Jessup problem is based on a fictitious pair of countries who have brought their international legal dispute to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. This is an open research competition which allows for about four months of preparation. Success at the Regional competition allows you to “advance” to the international competition in Washington, D.C.

Regionals takes place in late February / early March alongside ASIL's annual meeting. Competing teams come from the world over, with particularly fierce competition originating from Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Spain. For these reasons, participation in the Jessup competition is nationally appreciated, particularly among international law practitioners.

Participation in an open research competition with a longer preparation timetable is very different from a short, limited competition. However, because the Jessup problem generally hits upon at least one un- or under-explored issue in international law, one of the competition’s great benefits is that students become almost as knowledgeable as international legal experts on that issue. The longer schedule is also conducive to less-frenzied preparation and greater development of both legal writing and oral argument skills.

Typically, ILSA releases the Jessup competition problem each September. In late December, ILSA announces that year’s regional grouping of U.S. teams – this is when the team discovers what schools it will be competing against during the regional competition in early February. The briefs, called “memorials,” are submitted in early January, cannot be revised should the team advance to internationals, and are often scrutinized by the judges in advance of oral argument rounds. The law library has volumes of past Jessup competition memorials if you are interested in seeing what they look like.

How do I get on the Team?

Traditionally, TTU Law's Coach and previous year's team selects a team in late March / early April. The team includes two, two-person teams and at least one alternate team member. Members are chosen based on a number of criteria, including writing skill, ability to think on you feet, past participation, and overall demeanor in front of a panel of judges. You are required to submit a writing sample as well as prepare a brief argument. Details will be posted around the school as the time for tryouts approaches. Participation includes weekly meetings throughout the semester, as well as weekly assignments as the coach may require. All team members are required to research and write. You are generally given class credit and you should treat it like a class and allocate time accordingly. Participation is time-consuming but rewarding!

Benefits

There are many benefits to participating in Jessup, including the following:

• improving your oratory and writing skills,
• improving your knowledge and understanding of international law,
• class credit,
• travel, and
• meeting interesting people from other universities around the U.S. and the world.

Jessup Sponsors