The Basics of a Jessup Oral Round

The Jessup Competition is judged by a dedicated group of volunteer attorneys, professors and judges. Serving as a Jessup judge is a wonderful opportunity for volunteers to expand their knowledge of international law, contribute to legal education, and meet fellow attorneys from around the world.

Volunteers do not have to practice or work in the field of international law in order to judge the Jessup. ILSA provides a step-by-step guide to judging Jessup memorials and oral rounds which includes general guidelines, a checklist and instructions for new judges.

Judges are needed at all levels of the Competition (regional, national, and international) to evaluate and score the written and oral pleadings of the competitors. Each jurisdiction of the competition has different requirements and procedures for registering to become a judge. For more information on registration, please contact the competition administrator.

In an effort to help prepare judges for the Jessup Competition, the Firm created the White & Case Jessup Judge Training videos. The training videos walk you through the basics of judging an oral round. The videos describe the judging materials and structure of a round and provide an overview of the substance and style points judges will be evaluating. Role playing and video clips of actual Jessup oral rounds are included to demonstrate points. We hope judges will find these training videos a valuable resource when preparing for the Jessup Competition.

For more information, please visit: http://jessup.whitecase.com.