The Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court is an appellate advocacy competition that focuses on international relations topics. The competition simulates an appeal of a trial court decision, so appellate writing and oral advocacy skills are emphasized. Students research a problem, write appellate briefs, and present oral arguments before panels of judges. Teams are required to brief both sides of the problem. There are four possible levels of competition: intra-school, regional, national, and international. Competitors receive one pass/fail credit for writing a brief and one for competing in at the regional competition.
The intra-school selection process takes place during the first few weeks of fall semester. The competition will be open to all students who have completed Public International Law Research Workshops I and II.
Once students are selected for the Mitchell Hamline team, they represent the college at the regional round. The first-place team at regionals goes on to the international round in Washington, D.C. The regional and international rounds occur in February and March, respectively.