Competing to show who has the best understanding of international law and supreme skills of persuasion, students will present oral and written arguments on a hypothetical international law case to a simulated International Court of Justice.

The topic this year is "The right to self-determination and the lawfulness of measures taken to protect the economic resources of a state".

Competition organiser Dr Hitoshi Nasu from ANU's College of Law said in a statement: "This competition is a place for law students to hone their ability to research and mount a case very quickly - skills that they'll need when they graduate and become practising lawyers."

Students will demonstrate their sharp presentation skills at the College of Law during preliminary rounds, before moving to real courts for the competition finals and the High Court of Australia for the grand final this Saturday.

The winners of the Australian rounds will compete at the international tournament, held in Washington, DC in March.