Santa Clara University School of Law will be hosting this year’s regional competition of the prestigious Jessup Moot Court Competition. On February 29th through March 2nd, law students from more than 25 schools will convene at the Santa Clara School of Law to try to argue their way to the finals in WashingtonDC later this spring. "It is a great honor to be the regional hosts to these talented students; we cherish the opportunity to showcase our beautiful campus as well as our student teams who have excelled in all areas of litigation" commented Donald Polden, Dean of Santa Clara Law School.
Now in its 49th year, the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition is the world’s largest moot court competition, with participants from over 500 law schools in more than 80 countries. The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. This season’s Jessup Problem addresses issues concerning terrorism and human rights. The "hypothetical" problem that the teams will present arguments on before panels of judges includes issues similar to the establishment of military commissions by the United States to try alleged terrorists, the right to render alleged terrorists to facilities such as Guantanamo, and interface of international treaties to protect human rights and to protect society against terrorism. Representing both sides of the argument, each Jessup team is required to prepare oral and written pleadings. The students first compete in national competitions in hopes of earning the right to advance to the world championship Shearman & Sterling International Rounds held every spring in Washington, D.C.
Santa Clara University School of Law teams have participated in the competition for many years, often very successfully, including advancing to the regional final round in recent years. "Our lawyers are well trained in the art of oral argument and arbitration proceedings and the school is turning out some incredible litigators, so it is not surprising that we are making a mark in these competitions," stated Dean Polden; "they also have a reputation for being well rounded professionals that uphold the highest standards of professionalism and dedication to issues of public interest and social justice," he added.
The Jessup competition will be open to the public, with preliminary rounds taking place on Friday, February 29th, quarter-final rounds on Saturday, March 1, and the semi-final and final rounds taking place on Sunday, March 2.
