In support of the cultivation of future legal professionals in South Africa, the Johannesburg office of White & Case is sponsoring the national rounds of the Jessup Moot Court Competition. This is in line with the Firm’s newly established 4 year global partnership with the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

Founded in 1959, the Jessup (as it is commonly known) is administered around the world by the International Law Students Association.  It takes place in more than 90 countries with nearly 2000 students from over 600 law schools, making it the largest moot court competition in the world.  Individual countries hold national rounds each year, with the winning team(s) traveling to Washington DC for the World Championship.

The competition focuses on public international law with teams of 4-5 law students submitting written pleadings and presenting oral arguments to a panel of judges in a simulated International Court of Justice. The contest provides students with unique experience in legal research, preparing written submissions to a Court and presenting legal arguments in a courtroom setting. 

Currently, there are 6 South African Universities competing in this year's competition:  the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and the University of Cape Town (UCT).

The competition will be held at the University of Cape Town's Faculty of Law from the 30th January-1st February 2008.

There is an impressive list of judges for the panel :

• Hon. Craig Howie (President, Supreme Court of Appeal)
• Hon. Ian Farlam (Judge, Supreme Court of Appeal)
• Hon. Dennis Davis (Judge, Cape Provincial Division, Competition Appeals Court, Labour Appeals Court)
• Hon. Nathan Erasmus (Judge, Cape Provincial Division)
• Tanneke Heersche (Executive Partner of White & Case LLP Johannesburg)

This year's legal problem focuses on topical issues in international law, including the legality of military commissions, rendition, conditions in detention, international humanitarian law.

Please click here for the official ILSA website.