When I first covered the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court, I thought it would make a great documentary in the tradition of “Spellbound” and “Mad Hot Ballroom,” which charmingly capture the ordeals of a few intense middle schoolers in a national spelling bee and citywide dance contest, respectively.

White & Case chair Hugh Verrier, whose firm sponsors the annual Jessup world championship competition in Washington, D.C., had the same thought. He also had the budget to bankroll such a project, and the gravitas to make it happen. Only a firm leader amid a successful eight-year run could pull off the line: “Hey counsel, let's make a movie!”

The Jessup combines the loftiest ideals of global law with the sweet geekiness of a Star Trek convention. For over half a century, this mock World Court competition has shown that law students know how to have fun, and change the world while they're at it. Representing some 600 schools in 100 nations, the contestants hail from towns obscure enough to stump a career diplomat.