FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fri 27-Mar-2009
Contact: Amity Boye, ILSA Executive Director, aboye@ilsa.org
(Microsoft Word Version)
Record number of students and dignitaries, including six ICJ judges, gather to commemorate the occasion
This week, the International Law Students Association is hosting thousands of law students and attorneys from all corners of the globe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. The competition is being held in Washington, D.C., at the Fairmont Hotel, and culminates with the World Championship Round on Saturday, March 28. Ripped from the headlines, this year’s competition addresses the legality of humanitarian intervention and the problem of sexual misconduct by United Nations peacekeepers.
A half century ago, Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, then a professor at Harvard Law School and later the president of the International Court of Justice, helped organize the very first edition of the competition to promote international law and international advocacy. The competition is named after the U.S. judge then serving on the International Court of Justice, Philip C. Jessup.
In its first year, the event involved only two law schools, Harvard and Columbia. From those humble origins, the Jessup Moot Court took on a life of its own. Over these 50 years, generations of law students from all corners of the globe have participated in this annual multi-cultural educational event, where barriers are broken, friendships both personal and professional are forged, and the study of international law is promoted. According to Case Western Reserve Law School Professor and ILSA Board Member Michael Scharf, “The Jessup Competition is an extraordinary educational program that serves as a training ground for future international lawyers and a testing ground for emerging principles of international law."
Washington University St. Louis Law School Professor Leila Sadat states, “The Jessup Competition has contributed in profound ways to international legal scholarship, and has served as a vital training ground for leaders in the field. It teaches the key lesson that international law provides a methodology for resolving even the most intractable disputes.”
The Jessup Competition is by far the largest international law moot court competition in the world, with thousands of students from more than 500 schools in upwards of 80 countries competing. Throughout the competition season, students develop sophisticated research, writing, and oral presentation skills that prepare them for successful careers as legal professionals.
This week’s program, sponsored by the global law firm of Shearman & Sterling, is specially designed to highlight the competition’s influence on the field of international law, to feature the generations of international lawyers it has produced, and to honor the many volunteers who have contributed to the Competition’s success.
On Friday, March 27, 2009, the International Law Students Association and the American Society of International Law will co-host a gala dinner event to be attended by more than 800 students and attorneys. The event, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., will honor the Jessup’s Anniversary. Three past and current presidents of the International Court of Justice will be in attendance.
For more information about the competition, please see ILSA’s website at http://www.ilsa.org/jessup or contact Amity Boye at +1 (312) 307-3269. Members of the Press are welcome to attend the World Championship Round being held at 4:00pm on Saturday, March 28, at the Fairmont Hotel.
[The International Law Students Association (ILSA) is a worldwide association of law students and legal professionals dedicated to the promotion of international law. In addition to the Jessup Competition, ILSA administers a variety of educational programs, including the organization of three annual conferences, the publication of various written works and periodicals, and the global coordination of student chapter organizations devoted to international law.]