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BacktoIntroductionpage Frequentlyaskedquestions ClickHeretoViewMootcourtProblems

MootCourtGuideDrGBReddy,OsmaniaUniversity,HyderabadFollowhimat
http://www.drgbr.goforthelaw.com

AdvantageofArguments
VaryingMethodsofTeaching
MootCourts
DifferencebetweenMootCourtsandMockTrials
WhyMoot?
Keyskillseverymooterneeds
Whatshouldamooterdo?
CourtEtiquette
CourtEtiquette
HowtoDiscreditArgumentsofoppositeside?
Whatamootershouldnotdo?
WrittenMemorialsDescription
WrittenMemorialsOtherRules
CriteriaforAssessmentofMooters
UsefulInfo..onMootCourts
Conclusion

AdvantageofArguments

InmyYouth,saidhisfather,ItooktotheLaw

Andarguedeachcasewithmywife

Andthemuscularstrengthwhichitgavetomyjaw

Haslastedtherestofmylife.

LewisCarrollinapoemcalledYouAreOld,FatherWilliaminhisbook
Alice'sAdventuresinWonderland(1865).

VaryingMethodsofTeaching

TheSocraticmethod
Straightlecture
Hightechmethod
Thehybridmodel
Theproblemmethod
MootCourts

AnExtracurricularActivityatLawSchools
SimulatedCourtproceedings
IncludeDraftingBriefsandOralArguments
mockhearingofapointorpointsoflawconductedbystudents
Studentsarguetrickyhypotheticallegalissuesbeforeacademicorprofessionallawyers
Judgesmayberealones
DifferentfromMocktrialswherequestionsoffactareargued

DifferencebetweenMootCourtsandMockTrials

MootcourtusuallyconcernedwithquestionsofLawonly
Mocktrialusuallyreferstoasimulatedtrialconcernedwithquestionsoffacts/evidenceonly
Mootcourtdoesnotinvolveactualtestimonyorpresentationofevidence
Mootsfocusedsolelyonapplicationoflawtocommonsetofevidentiaryassumptions
Themootargumentisonthelaw,notonthevalidityofanyfactualevidence[Thefactsofthecasearenotin
dispute]

WhyMoot?

Mootingencapsulatesessentialskillsoflawyers
ImprovesStudentsabilitytoargueapointcogentlyandpersuasively
Honesanddevelopsthetechniquesthatbringsuccesstobothstudentandpractitioner
Extremelystimulating
Giveshandsonexperienceoflawtostudents

Keyskillseverymooterneeds

Ananalyticalmind
Capacityofagoodresearcher
UptodateknowledgeofLaw
Buildingaconvincingstructureofpresentation[Onegoodauthorityisbetterthansixmediocreones,andismore
likelytoimpress]
SkilltomakeSubmissionswithCommonsense,abilitytoconsiderthematterfromthepointofviewofthejudge,
andafacilitywithlanguage[Putyourselfinthejudgesshoes]
Anticipatingquestionsandbeingreadytoprovideauthorityforyoursubmissions

Whatshouldamooterdo?

FirstReadtheproblemcarefully,summariseit,&identifyarea/areasoflawtheproblemdealswith.E.g.
Constitution/crime/tort/property/contract/employmentlaw.

Secondlookfortheareainalawtextbook,readrelevantchapter/sectiononit,&identifyrelevantcases.Use
themostuptodateversionofanytextbook.Doublechecktoseewhetheranymorerecentcaseshaveaffected
thelegalposition.

ThirdIdentifyarguments&pointsinyourfavour&alsoagainstyou.[Bepreparedtoargueonanyside
PrepareforRebuttalsandsurrebuttals]

 Fourthsplittheworkbetweenthetwomooters[worktogetherandhaveaworkingknowledgeofeachothers'
arguments]

SupportyourargumentwithAuthority,Reasonandlogic

AuthoritiescanbeDecisionsoftheSupremeCourt,HighCourts,judgmentsinotherjurisdictionsbasedoncommon
law,Quotationsfromlearnedarticlesandtextbooks,andParliamentarydebates

WhilequotingforeigncasesItmaybeprudenttointroducethecasebysaying'althoughnotbindingonthisCourt
itmaybeofassistancetoexaminethejudgmentin...'

Alwayskeepupeyecontactwiththejudge,andwatchforsignalsfromhimorher

Ifyoucannotansweraquestion,sayso.[Youcansay'MyLord,Iamunabletoassistonthatpoint,sinceIhave
notreadtherelevantauthority'orIpleadignorance]

CourtEtiquette

FifthAddresstheJudgesProperly:MyLord(s)/YourLordship(s).UseMyLady/YourLadyshiponlyafter
ascertainingpreferencesofladyjudges.
SixthAddressOppositecounselas'MyLearnedFriend(s)'or'MyLearnedFriendsOpposite'.Alsoappropriateis
'Lead/juniorcounselfortheappellants/respondents.
Talktojudges,notatthem.
Askthejudgespermissionatvariousstagesofthespeech:'WithyourLordship'spermissionIwouldlikenowto...'
Givefullcitationofacaseassoonasitismentioned,andtheadvocateshouldalwaysaskthejudgeifhe/she
wouldlikeasummaryofthefactsofthecase.
FollowtheDressCode

CourtEtiquette

Introduceyourselvesasfollows:

'MyLord,Iam,andthisis..Wearecounselfortheappellant,..,whoistheclaimantinthiscase

AlwaysStartwithMayitpleasethishonourablecourt/yourlordship

Initiallyaskthejudges'WouldyourLordshiplikeabriefsummaryofthefactsofthiscase?'

HowtoDiscreditArgumentsofoppositeside?

Distinguishingthecase
 FindErrorsincitationreliedonbyoppositecounselEg.Minorityjudgment,overruledjudgment,quotingselective
text(outofcontext)&quotingfromheadnoteofjudgmentetc.

Provingthelawinvokedasirrelevant/repealed/amended.

Whatamootershouldnotdo?

Dontexceedtimelimit[realizeimportanceoftimemanagementkeepaneyeontheclock]
Dontreadfromwrittenmemorials
Dontquoteanytext/judgmentwithoutpermissionfromjudges
Dontcallopposingmootersas'theopposition'andcertainlynot'theenemy'or'themoverthere'
Avoidcolloquialphrases,suchas'Okay'and'Allright'[say'IamgratefulforyourLordship'sassistance']
Nevertellthejudgewhatyouthink,supposeorsuggest.Dontquestionthejudge.
Dontsitwhilethejudgetalkstoyoualwaysstandupwheneitherthejudgetalkstoyou,orwhenyoutalktothe
judge
Donttalkoverthejudgeneverargueortalkoverthejudge.Waituntilthejudgehasfinishedbeforeputting
forwardyourownpoints

WrittenMemorialsDescription

Tableofcontents
IndexofAuthorities(includingcorrespondingpagenumbers)
StatementofJurisdiction
Statementoffacts
Identificationofissues
SummaryofPleadings
PleadingsincludingConclusionand/orPrayerforRelief

WrittenMemorialsOtherRules

SizeofMemorials/Countermemorialsnotmorethan25pages
Typed/printedonstandardA4sizepaperononesideonly
FontTimesNewRoman(12)orArial(11)
Textdoublespacedwithoneinchmarginonbothsides
FootNotessinglespacedandsize2pointslessthantext
Doublespacingmustbetweeneachheadingintextofmemorialandbetweentwoseparatefootnotes.
Quotationsofsourcesoutsidememorialof50wordsormoreshallbesinglespaced
Tableofcontents,indexofauthoritiesandcasetitlenotincludedinthe25pagestyped/printedpagelimit
ColouroftitlepageBlueincasepetitioner/appellant&Redincaseofrespondent/respondent

CriteriaforAssessmentofMooters

KnowledgeofFacts
ApplicationofLaw
SubstanceinArguments
SkillsofAdvocacy&Articulation
UseofAppropriateAuthorities&Citation
CourtMannersandGeneralImpression
WrittenMemorials

UsefulInfo..onMootCourts

http://www.ilsa.org/listings/intlmoots.php(InternationalLawStudentsAssociation)

http://wwwcamlaw.rutgers.edu/mootcourtcompetitions(RutgersCamdenMootCourtCompetitionpage)
 http://wwwcamlaw.rutgers.edu/mootcourtcompetitions(RutgersCamdenMootCourtCompetitionpage)

Conclusion

Ifyouareakeenmooter,youarecertainlygoingtobeasuccessfullawyer

Mootingagreatleveler(youwillriseabovelanguage&regionalbarriers)

RememberFatherWilliam

ClickHeretoViewMootcourtProblems

WorldLII(WorldLegal SupremeCourtofIndiaJudgements Legislation(ACTS)from LawCommissionofIndia

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