For the sixth year in a row, Shearman & Sterling has been the exclusive sponsor of The International Rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Shearman & Sterling also sponsored and hosted the French National Rounds, for the eighth consecutive year, and the US Northeast Super Regional Rounds, formerly known as the US Mid-Atlantic Rounds, which the firm has sponsored and hosted since 2004.

The Jessup is the most long-standing, largest and most prestigious moot court competition focusing on Public International Law issues. In 2007, almost 500 schools from over 75 countries participated in the competition, with 94 teams from 69 countries attending the Shearman & Sterling International Rounds in Washington, DC.

In this competition, students are required to present oral and written arguments on a hypothetical international law problem to a simulated International Court of Justice. The 2008 Jessup problem focused on one of the most important, controversial and timely issues of the day:  the tension between ensuring human rights and responding to acts of terrorism.

Shearman & Sterling supports the competition because it provides students around the world with a unique opportunity to develop their lawyering skills and expertise in Public International Law. In addition, Shearman & Sterling has an active Public International Law Practice, for example in the area of treaty law, which is at the core of investment disputes handled by Shearman & Sterling’s International Arbitration Group, and in the area of human rights in the context of its pro bono initiatives.

The Jessup is administered by the International Law Students Association (ILSA). The goal of the Jessup is to promote international legal education, the peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for the rule of law.