“The Mooters” is a weekly series where Bar & Bench interviews the Moot Court Committees of different law schools in the country. .In this piece, the team from School of Law, SASTRA University, Thanjavur talks about the selection process followed, challenges faced while organising a moot and the benefits of mooting for a law student..Bar & Bench: How are members inducted into the Moot Court Committee and what are their main responsibilities? .School of Law, SASTRA University: The moot court committee has been divided into 3 functionaries, namely:.· Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition.· TARKA SASTRA.· Moot Court Selection Committee. The members are inducted as follows.· The CONVENOR (Final Year) and The CO-CONVENOR(IV Year) are chosen by their respective batchmates alongwith the recommendations made by faculty of law. Their main responsibility is to co-ordinate in organising the entire moot court competition..· The respective HEADS (Final Year) and CO-HEADS(IV Year) for each functions namely; Event Management, Registration & Decoration, Correspondence, Transport, Food & Hospitality are chosen based on their prior experience in organising moot. Their main function is to organise with respect to their committee and its functions. For eg: Event Management committee takes care of the Framing of Rules, Appointing court clerks, etc..· The VOLUNTEERS are chosen by the respective heads and co-heads in consultation with Student& Faculty Convenors. Their main responsibility is to carry out the orders of respective heads and co-heads..B&B: What is the process of organizing an inter-college moot court competition? How do you find sponsors?.SoLSU: There isn’t much of a process involved. The moot is entirely organised by students which is overviewed by the management. We usually approach the sponsors two months prior to the moot. Our moots are generally sponsored by financial institutions and law journals. A student representative part of the Moot Court committee usually is assigned this task..B&B: How do you select judges for the various rounds?.SoLSU: As far as Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition is concerned, each court hall in the preliminary rounds are judged by a practicing Advocate and a practicing Chartered Accountant, as it is a tax moot. Usually young practicing professionals are chosen in this regard..For the Semi-Finals, partners of Tax firms and Senior Advocates, in the field of taxation are generally called upon to judge..For the Finals, a judicial member of ITAT, a judge of the High Court or Supreme Court(either sitting or retired) and established Senior Advocates and Partners of top law firms are called to judge the event..B&B: In your opinion, how does mooting benefit a law student?.SoLSU: Indeed, it does benefit. It gives them an opportunity as to practical implications of law. It also helps them to meet a lot of people and build their contacts. It helps them greatly in improving their oratory skills, legal research and team work. It is really good to find that mooting is made a part of curriculum..The Moot Court Committee of School of Law, SASTRA University for 2014-2015 includes Harita Raja, Sella Visalakshi, Pavitra Radhakrishnan, Mythreyi, Madhuram, Ganesh, Adith Narayan, Narayan Chandrasekhar, Saibarath, Ramkumar, Hem Naag Indiran, Natesh, Vishnu and Rajesh..(If you would like your college moot court team to be featured, send us a mail at shreya@barandbench.com)
“The Mooters” is a weekly series where Bar & Bench interviews the Moot Court Committees of different law schools in the country. .In this piece, the team from School of Law, SASTRA University, Thanjavur talks about the selection process followed, challenges faced while organising a moot and the benefits of mooting for a law student..Bar & Bench: How are members inducted into the Moot Court Committee and what are their main responsibilities? .School of Law, SASTRA University: The moot court committee has been divided into 3 functionaries, namely:.· Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition.· TARKA SASTRA.· Moot Court Selection Committee. The members are inducted as follows.· The CONVENOR (Final Year) and The CO-CONVENOR(IV Year) are chosen by their respective batchmates alongwith the recommendations made by faculty of law. Their main responsibility is to co-ordinate in organising the entire moot court competition..· The respective HEADS (Final Year) and CO-HEADS(IV Year) for each functions namely; Event Management, Registration & Decoration, Correspondence, Transport, Food & Hospitality are chosen based on their prior experience in organising moot. Their main function is to organise with respect to their committee and its functions. For eg: Event Management committee takes care of the Framing of Rules, Appointing court clerks, etc..· The VOLUNTEERS are chosen by the respective heads and co-heads in consultation with Student& Faculty Convenors. Their main responsibility is to carry out the orders of respective heads and co-heads..B&B: What is the process of organizing an inter-college moot court competition? How do you find sponsors?.SoLSU: There isn’t much of a process involved. The moot is entirely organised by students which is overviewed by the management. We usually approach the sponsors two months prior to the moot. Our moots are generally sponsored by financial institutions and law journals. A student representative part of the Moot Court committee usually is assigned this task..B&B: How do you select judges for the various rounds?.SoLSU: As far as Nani Palkhivala Memorial National Tax Moot Court Competition is concerned, each court hall in the preliminary rounds are judged by a practicing Advocate and a practicing Chartered Accountant, as it is a tax moot. Usually young practicing professionals are chosen in this regard..For the Semi-Finals, partners of Tax firms and Senior Advocates, in the field of taxation are generally called upon to judge..For the Finals, a judicial member of ITAT, a judge of the High Court or Supreme Court(either sitting or retired) and established Senior Advocates and Partners of top law firms are called to judge the event..B&B: In your opinion, how does mooting benefit a law student?.SoLSU: Indeed, it does benefit. It gives them an opportunity as to practical implications of law. It also helps them to meet a lot of people and build their contacts. It helps them greatly in improving their oratory skills, legal research and team work. It is really good to find that mooting is made a part of curriculum..The Moot Court Committee of School of Law, SASTRA University for 2014-2015 includes Harita Raja, Sella Visalakshi, Pavitra Radhakrishnan, Mythreyi, Madhuram, Ganesh, Adith Narayan, Narayan Chandrasekhar, Saibarath, Ramkumar, Hem Naag Indiran, Natesh, Vishnu and Rajesh..(If you would like your college moot court team to be featured, send us a mail at shreya@barandbench.com)
