law student is itself a tedious one, it is very important to multitask and prioritise your activities.

Every law student aspires to represent their law school and their country at the coveted White & Case International  Rounds of Philip C Jessup International Law Moot held annually at Washington D.C. This year’s India Rounds of the same is being hosted by School of Law, Christ University, Bengaluru in association with Surana&Surana Int. Attorneys,Chennai and the International Law students Association (ILSA).
School of Law, Christ University is not new to the venture of hosting moots. They have previously played host to the South India Qualifying Rounds in the year 2013 amongst other moots namely the SLCU National Moot Court Competition and the SLCU Anti- trust Moot.
At the helm of affairs we have the Moot Court Society convenors, Andrew Chakrabarty and Steve.P.Thomas, both in their fourth year of law school. We caught up with them amidst all the buzz and excitement to find out the nitty gritties of organising a moot of such prestige.
Q) How has your experience been in hosting the South India Rounds of PCJM?
Andrew : SLCU was  delighted to host the South- India rounds of Philip C Jessup competition in association with Surana & Surana International Attorneys, Chennai, last year. The moot problem pertained to Maritime development and conservation, criminal jurisdiction and maritime salvage rights.  This Competition saw highly respected dignitaries from the High Courts of Delhi, Kerala and Bombay and many well-established law firms judging the Preliminary, Semi-Final and the Final Rounds of the Competition.
Steve: The Preliminary Rounds saw 13 of the best teams in South India battle it out by demonstrating their detailed analysis of the law and mooting skills. The top 4 teams of this preliminary round namely, NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, ILS Pune and NLU Odisha, moved on to the Semi Final Rounds. Of the above four contenders, NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR Hyderabad qualified to the World Rounds. This was followed by the Final Round, with NLSIU Bangalore emerging as the winners of the South India Rounds, and NALSAR Hyderabad as the Runners’ Up with a very close margin. We witnessed impeccable research and oral arguments. We saw some of the best legal minds battle it out in this competition, last year.
Q) Tell us about this year’s India Rounds of PCJMoot?
Andrew: This year’s competition will witness the participation of the finest  law students from 32 law schools across the length and breadth of the country. These rounds will happen from the 30th of January to the 1st of February 2015.
Steve : This year’s Jessup Problem will focus on the procedural and substantive issues arising from the secession of one province of a nation and its annexation into another. And, the top teams of the India Qualifying Rounds of the 56th Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, 2015 will earn the right to advance to the White & Case International Rounds held every spring in Washington D.C. The stakes are high and we are looking forward to a cutthroat competition spiked with vehement mooting skills.
Q) How are the preparations for the India rounds of PCJM going on?
Andrew: The preparations are in full swing actually! We have been working very hard over the past two months in order to make this competition a success. We intend to provide the best of amenities to both the judges and participants and make their stay at SLCU a memorable one.
Q) What is the hardest part of organising a moot of such great repute?
Steve: Co-ordinating between the various sub-committees and ensuring that we meet the deadlines in time is vital. Since stress levels are very high, patience is a very important factor. Having a meticulous plan and executing the same ensures that the event goes on smoothly. Also, working together as a team is very imperative.
Q) In order to organise any Moot, the organising committee plays a very important role. Tell us about the manpower behind this Moot?
Andrew: We have a very dedicated student-body working with us in order to ensure that the event goes on without any glitches. The entire organising committee is very industrious and hard-working.
Steve : Within the organising committee, we have sub-committees like Accommodation, Hospitality, Floor Management, Finance, Travel, Court Clerks etc. These committees have a set of assigned tasks along with their recruited volunteers from the student community, constantly strive to make this herculean event a grand success.
Q) How is the mooting culture at SLCU?
Andrew : The primary goal of the Moot Court Society is to provide all SLCU students the opportunities to harbour all essential prowess to mould an individual into an adept mooter. In order to achieve this objective, the Moot Court Society organizes various events like Mooting Primer for all the novice mooters at SLCU, Intro-Moot for the first years, IMC (Internal Mooting Championship) wherein all the first and second year students compete with one another to victory, Internal National Rounds, Internal International National Round, Internal Jessup Qualifying Rounds and Inter-College National Moot Court Competition.
Steve: The Moot Court Society doesn’t just limit itself to Intra-College activities it also indulges itself in various Inter-College competitions. SLCU’s students have taken part in many various Moot Court Competitions hosted by many law colleges. Teams of SLCU have a long tradition of excellence in appellate advocacy and their talent has succeeded in winning many Moot Court Competitions in India and across the borders.
Q) Being the convenors of such an important committee, how do you guys balance academics and co-curricular activities?
Andrew: Since life as a law student is itself a tedious one, it is very important to multitask and prioritise your activities. We manage the organising intricacies and Moot Court Society’s demanding work as a team. Therefore, all of us in the OC share the workload and we don’t feel individually burdened.
Steve: After college hours, we cater to our hectic study schedule. Our college’s excellent library is a boon to students in this regard. Also, our teachers are more than willing to help us out whenever we approach them.