We’ll start by defining the term “Moot Court” – wherein “Moot” refers to “subject to debate” and “Court” refers to “A tribunal presided over by a judge, judges, or a magistrate in civil and criminal cases.
Moot Court means a trial platform given to law students to debate over a subject in the presence of honorable judges or law professors or esteemed scholars. It provides the closest to real court experience for the students. The term Mooting refers to the activity of a Moot Court. It is an essential activity and competition for law students to put their knowledge of law into practice.
Selection Process
Moot Court activity challenges law students across colleges and universities to prove their prowess in research, arguing and presentation skills. It is a matter of great prestige for colleges to win such competitions. Internal Moot Court committee is formed to manage, run and promote the mooting activity within the college.
Internal Moot Court committee will conduct a strict selection process for its students and choose the ones who qualify based on the written memorials . Selection process consists of preparation of written memorials and oral arguments. Once the date for the selection process is announced, start with the preparation of written memorials well in advance of the oral arguments. Avoid submitting the memorials in the last minute before the deadline.
Your memorial is the most important document for the oral round. Lay out your arguments for the case in a clearer, and more precisely to win the first impression of the panel members.
Research Process
Success of your mooting lies in the research of you and your team puts in preparing the written memorials. Demonstrate high level of skill and knowledge in interpretating the law than that of the competitors.
When you get the mooting problem, you will get a general idea of the problem its dealing with. So start with the below steps and repeat the process several times to be good at researching.
- Read brief summary of the debate in the area from a relevant chapter of a text book.
- Understand the difficulties associated with each interpretation of the law
- Refer other academic opinions on the debate
- Follow as many sources as you can and find cases that are in your favor as well as in the opponent’s favor.
- Structure your document with leading points of argument
- Be prepared with the authorities such as legislations, case laws etc., that are against you and how you’re going to respond to that
- Show minimum of three leading cases from a higher court
