2005 Jessup International Law Moot Court Awards

Renee Dopplick
International Law Blog Postings
No comments yet


International Championship Rounds
27 March – 2 April 2005
Wyndham Hotel, Washington, D.C. USA
Sponsored by: ILSA, Shearman & Sterling
Entry Fees: US$130-US$925
Competitors: 103 teams from 87 countries
Compromis: The Republic of Appollonia v. The Kingdom of Raglan – the case concerning the vessel of The Mairi Maru
Championship Trophy: 46th Annual Jessup/Shearman & Sterling World Champion Trophy

Overview

The Jessup competition simulates a case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands. The competition offers students the opportunity to conduct legal research, write briefs, practice oral advocacy skills, and network with their peers, international lawyers, and renowned judges. The competition reinforces the value of international collaboration and the importance of the Rule of Law in building and promoting a peaceful, global society of nations.

This year, more than 2,000 law students representing 583 law schools from 93 countries competed at national and regional levels for the honor of representing their countries. A total of 103 teams from 87 countries advanced to the International Tournament held in Washington, D.C. Teams were identified by number and judges were unaware of the schools or nations the participants represented.

2005 Awards

Jessup Cup World Champion

Jessup Cup World Championship Runner-up

Malaysia – International Islamic University Malaysia
Melati Abdul Hamid received Best Oralist in the Championship Round

Semifinalists

Spirit of the Jessup Award – (two awards given this year)

Iraq – Sulaymania University College of Law
Mexico – National Autonomous University of Mexico

Best Oralist Award

Best Oralist Award – Runner-ups

Best Memorial

Best Memorial – Hardy C. Dillard Award – Qualifying Rounds

2005 Jessup Statistics
Number of Teams Worldwide: 583
Number of Teams at International Rounds: 103
Number of Countries: 93
Number of Countries at International Rounds: 87

Spotlight on 2005 Jessup Teams

First-Time Competitors – Historic Debuts

Iraq – Sulaymania University College of Law
The Iraq team won two rounds and lost two rounds. Not only did the team beat Puerto Rico, the team beat Moscow State Institute for International Affairs (MGIMO), which despite the loss to Iraq advanced higher in the Tournament. The Iraq team also was one of two recipients of the coveted Spirit of the Jessup award. The award is voted upon by the participants and given to the team that best demonstrates academic and professional excellence. The Iraqi team received donations from the U.S. Department of State and American law schools, including a $5,100 travel grant from Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Catholic University allowed the Iraqi team to use its moot court room for practice. During Orals, the Iraqi team spoke in Arabic, relying on translators. Professor Omer R. Saman and Professor Muhammad Hanoon Jafar accompanied the team.

Uruguay – University of Montevideo
This year was the first time Uruguay has been represented in an international moot court competition. The team displayed impressive skills and advanced to the Quarterfinal Rounds. The team received support and encouragement from Dr. Guillermo Rosati, Academic Director of the School of Law. The U.S. Embassy in Uruguay provided a cash donation to the School of Law to enable the students to participate.

Returning Teams

Philippines – Ateneo de Manila School of Law
The 2004 World Jessup Champions, known this year only as “Team 261”, fended off both the University of the Philippines College of Law and the University of Santo Tomas College of Law (competing for the first time) in their national tournament to return to defend their title at the International Tournament. The team consisted of five students with one of last year’s members acting as the coach.

Canada – University of Toronto
The UT Canadian team returned for its third year in a row with four new team members. At the Canadian nationals, the team’s memorial placed third overall and one team member won best oralist.

USA – Harvard Law School
The Harvard team returned for its seventh year in a row after a narrow
victory
over Boston College Law School
in the Northeast Regional elimination round.

Afghanistan – Kabul University
This year’s team, sponsored by
the U.N. Development Program, included all new members. The trip marked the first foreign travel for all the students. Afghanistan sent its first team to the International Tournament in 2004, placing 70th overall and winning the coveted “Spirit of the Jessup” award.

Mexico – National Autonomous University of Mexico
The 1998 Jessup Champions returned this year after a near victory last year. In 2004, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) team advanced to the Semifinal Rounds but lost to the National University of Singapore. The UNAM team was one of two recipients of the coveted Spirit of the Jessup award. The award is voted upon by the participants and given to the team that best demonstrates academic and professional excellence.

Kyrgyzstan
Using translators, this year’s team advanced to the run-offs rounds, ultimately losing to Slovenia’s team from the University of Ljubljana. Slovenia, in turn, lost to American University.

Noticeably Absent

USA – Yale University
The number one ranked law school in the United States by U.S. News & World Report did not participate in the Jessup competition.

2005 Jessup International Tournament Competitors

(Last updated 26 April 2005. Email updates to: )

2005 Jessup Compromis

The Compromis provides the facts of the case and serves as the domain problem to be used by all teams.

The 2005 Jessup Compromis dealt with a nighttime pirate attack on a commercial shipping vessel and the subsequent environmental damage from a nuclear spill in international waters. The private vessel departed its country of origin, Appollonia, with a cargo of canisters containing mixed oxide fuel (MOX), a highly radioactive combination of plutonium and depleted uranium. The pirates boarded the vessel while it was located in the national waters of the country of Raglan. The pirates stole the valuables onboard, removed all the communication devices, disabled the vessel’s steering mechanisms, and imprisoned the crew in the galley. The hazardous MOX remained undiscovered and untouched by the pirates who disembarked. Battered by rough seas and enshrouded in the dark of night, the vessel drifted into international waters and ran aground on a sandbar. The hull of the ship ruptured and the MOX leaked into the surrounding waters, killing fish and endangering nearby inhabited islands. Crew members were injured and some died as a result of the incident. Read the full text and corrections and clarifications.

The teams were responsible for determining:

  • Were international laws and obligations violated? By whom?
  • Who should be responsible for the attack on the vessel?
  • Who should be responsible for the financial costs of the environmental cleanup?
  • Should financial compensation be given for damages to the economy?
  • Should victims and victims’ families be compensated for injuries and losses of life?

Rules and Procedures

Teams first compete in qualifying tournaments held in each nation. In China, India, Australia, and the United States, regional qualifying tournaments are held. The champions from the qualifying tournaments advance to the International Tournament, generally held in the spring in Washington, D.C.

A new rule (2.2.5) enacted this year and effective for this year’s competition bars participants from competing more than twice. While waivers were awarded to 3-time participants this year, it is not clear how easily obtainable these waivers will be next year. Read the full text of 2005 Rules.

General Team Requirements

  • Teams consist of two to five members.
  • Each participating student must be currently enrolled.
  • Each participating student may compete for a maximum of two years.
  • Outside assistance from any non-team member is prohibited.
  • Teams may incorporate information from other teams only if that information is obtained legally during the course of the tournament.

The Memorial Requirements (maximum 12,000 words)

  • Cover Page
  • Table of Contents
  • Index of Authorities
  • Statement of Jurisdiction
  • Questions Presented
  • Statement of Facts
  • Summary of Pleadings
  • Pleadings

The Oral Rounds Requirements

  • Two members from each team participate.
  • Each team is given a total of 45 minutes.
  • No team member can speak for more than 25 minutes.
  • Unused time allocated to one member may not be used the other member.
  • Teams may reserve 10 minutes for rebuttal
  • Judges may allocate an additional 10 minutes to each team.

About the Jessup Competition

The Jessup Competition is the leading international law moot court competition. Founded in 1959 by Harvard University, the competition is named after Philip C. Jessup, an international jurist and professor of international law.
The competition is administered by the International Law Students Association (ILSA). The competition is held annually with regional and national competitions occurring worldwide from December until March. Generally, the International Championship Rounds are held in the spring in Washington, D.C. Since 2003, the global law firm of Shearman & Sterling has sponsored the competition’s international rounds and championship trophy.

About Philip Caryl Jessup

Philip Caryl Jessup (1897-1986) earned his LL.B. from Yale and his Ph.D. from Columbia. He was a professor of international law at Columbia University (1925-1946). He represented the United States to the United Nations and played an active role in the United Nations Committee on Codification of International Law in 1947. During the 1960s, he served as a judge of the International Court of Justice at The Hague. He authored numerous books, including: A Modern Law of Nations (1948), Transnational Law (1956), Controls for Outer Space (1959), The Price of International Justice (1971), and The Birth of Nations (1974). The US Library of Congress offers a collection his papers, comprised of 120,000 items ranging from speeches, reports, legal papers, travel journals, and personal correspondence.

2005-2006 Jessup Volunteers Needed

Each year, thousands of volunteers are needed worldwide. Attorneys, judges, bailiffs, and clerical staff are needed for mock courts. In addition, financial sponsors are needed to assist teams with travel and participation costs. If you would like to volunteer, contact ISLA. Make sure you include your contact information, availability, skills, and desired tasks.

Jessup Resources

Preparation

Organizations

You must be logged in to post a comment.