University of Wyoming College of Law students showed much improvement during the recent Jessup Cup moot court competition in Portland Ore.
This was the second time a UW team has participated in the Jessup Cup. The team improved its performance from last year. The team won its first preliminary round, defeating Willamette University and the University of California-Santa Clara.
The team was comprised of the top four scorers among law students in an intra-law school oral argument based on a previous Jessup fact pattern. Anthony Gibbs of Tiburon, Calif., Brian Healy of Worland, Kerry Luck-Torry of Casper and Rachael Taylor of Cheyenne represented the UW College of Law at the competition.
The team's faculty supervisor, Professor Tim Kearley, led the group as they quizzed each other regarding legal arguments. Team members conducted research to make sure their arguments were consistent with different aspects of international law.
For the competition, each team discussed the substantive arguments of two fictitious opposing countries based on a fabricated fact pattern. The fact pattern is designed to elicit broad and deep analysis of international law implications and obligations.
This year's fact pattern touched on human rights and issues regarding state sovereignty. Students presented oral arguments and written memorials to a panel of judges comprised of law professors and others in the field of international law.
The competition is named after Phillip C. Jessup, who, in 1951, was appointed by President Harry Truman as the U.S. delegate to the United Nations. He later served as U.S. representative on the International Court of Justice from 1961-1970.
Posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2009
