World's largest mooting challenge launched

The worlds largest mooting competition kicked off in London last week.

The annual Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, now in it's 49th year, is administered by the International Law Students Association in nearly 90 countries and encompasses more than 2,000 law students from 600 universities across the globe. Teams from the UK first competed in the Jessup in 1970.

The competition is a simulation of a fictional dispute between countries before the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations. Representing both sides of the argument, each Jessup team is required to prepare oral and written pleadings.

Philip Stopford, partner, whose firm White & Case is sponsoring the competition, commented: The Jessup competition is an excellent training opportunity for law students, providing participants with a challenging intellectual experience that enables them to develop and strengthen their advocacy skills.

In last year's competition, three of the 14 British teams competing advanced to the international rounds in Washington D.C with King's College London scooping second place behind the University of Sydney in the final round.