Army Institute of Law, Mohali, wins 11th Prof VS Mani Memorial International Law Moot Court Competition at Seedling School of Law and Governance, Jaipur National University, Jaipur

The three-days event of 11^th Prof VS Mani Memorial International Law Moot Court Competition at the Seedling School of Law and Governance, Jaipur National University, concluded today with Army Institute of Law, Mohali, being declared the winner cash prize of Rs 30,000  and trophy. And Alliance University, the runner up with a cash prize of Rs 20,000 and a trophy. Best Memorial went to SRM University, Delhi. And Best Researcher to Ms. Archita Garg of RMLNLU, Lucknow and Best Speaker: Ms. Palak Shukla of Army Institute of Law, Mohali.

Dr. Justice Arijit Pasayat, Former Judge of Supreme Court of India, Hon’ble Mr. B.S. Sinsinwar, Ex-Chairman of Bar Council of India and Mr. Ratan Prakash, former Member of Central Appellate Tribunal  adjudged the final round and were the Guests at the Valedictory Session on 23^rd March, 2025 (Sunday).

Dr. Justice Arijit Pasayat began by congratulating the teachers and students of Seedling School of Law and Governance for organizing a competition that has attracted participation from law colleges all over the country. In his keynote speech, Justice Pasayat put a strong emphasis on learning basics in the formative years, rigorous legal research, and persuasive advocacy. He underscored the significance of moot courts in shaping future legal professionals in their formative years in legal education, highlighting how such competitions hone critical thinking, legal articulation, and professional ethics. He highlighted the importance of moot court competitions in shaping careers of law students.

Mr. B.S. Sinsinwar highlighted the evolving landscape of the legal profession, encouraging the participants to explore opportunities beyond traditional litigation. He emphasized the competition’s role in bridging the gap between academic learning and practical application. He shared three guiding principles for aspiring lawyers, calling them the ‘3 H’—Honesty, Hard Work, and Humbleness. Emphasizing these values, he urged students to uphold integrity, remain dedicated to their craft, and approach their legal journey with humility. He emphasised the importance of a confident and well-informed moot presenter who can explain the facts of the case in a chronological manner.

Mr. Ratan Prakash highlighted the enduring relevance of oral advocacy, describing the legal profession as a test of patience, perseverance and empathy. He opined that moot presentation is anticipative lawyering, where the presenter has to assume the questions and arguments of the opponent parties.

Dr. Sandeep Bakshi appreciated the efforts of Law School faculties and students in holding this prestigious event. He spoke about the introduction of mooting by Prof (Dr) VS Mani in Seedling School of Law and Governance, when he was the founding Director of the institute. Dr. Bakshi proudly stated, “The Indian legal acumen is unparallel and the purpose of such Moot Courts is to nurture them further.” He urged all the participants of the Moot Court Competition to aim at becoming distinguished legal professionals of the world. Dr. Bakshi highlighted the immense learning opportunities that moot court competitions provide, emphasizing that they not only refine advocacy skills but also instill a sense of responsibility towards society.

Prof (Dr) Satish Shastri emphasized on the overall development of law students. He stressed upon the need for holding such moot court competitions at regular intervals so that the students become familiar with the proceedings of the court. He also stressed upon the introduction of practical aspects in the course curriculum and the need of ethics and value in the legal profession.

All the 30 teams locked horns with one another to qualify for the Quarter finals and the 8 Quarter finalist teams included Alliance University, Bengaluru, UPES Dehradun, RMLNLU, Lucknow, Army Institute of Law, Mohali, Lloyd Law College, New Delhi, Amity University, Patna, Nirma University, Ahmedabad and Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar.

Of the 8 teams, 4 teams – Army Institute of Law, Mohali, Alliance University, Bengaluru, Nirma University, Ahmedabad and RMLNLU, Lucknow competed further to make it to the semi-finals. The 4 semi finalist teams of rubbed their shoulders against one another to make it to the finals on 23^rd March, 2025. Battling the sharp competition of the semi-final rounds, the teams of Army Institute of Law, Mohali and Alliance University, Bengaluru, made the worthy finalists.