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Symbiosis Law School, Pune hosted ‘The Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition-2017 (India National Round)’ in association with the Forum of South Asian Clinical Law Teachers. Inauguration of the three day event was held on Friday, 3rd February, 2017 in the Moot Court Hall. The Competition shall witness participation of 34 teams from India.
Event commenced with the lighting of lamp by the dignitaries on the dais including Chief Guest Hon’ble Mr. Justice H. L. Gokhale, Retd. Judge, Supreme Court of India, Keynote Speaker, Prof. Upendra Baxi, Professor Emeritus, Warwick University, U.K., Dr. Babuguoda S. Patil, National Representative, South Asian Clinical Law Forum, Dr. Shashikala Gurpur, Fulbright Scholar, Director, Symbiosis Law School, Pune, Dean, Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International University and Dr Bindu Ronald, Deputy Director, Symbiosis Law School, Pune.
Dr. Gurpur in her welcome address shed light on the rationale behind conducting the client consultation competition and expressed the importance of training clinical lawyers. Furthermore, she questioned the need to restrict ourselves to the adversarial approach of adjudication and emphasized the therapeutic form of jurisprudence as a method of healing the wounds of the aggrieved.
Dr. Babuguoda S. Patil introduced the competition wherein he emphasized the power of first impression with respect to client consultation and advised the students to develop a more interrogative approach whilst interacting with clients.
Keynote speaker, Prof. Upendra Baxi commenced his address emphasizing the duty of excellence, part IVB of constitution. Furthermore, he elucidated the four main ingredients of client counseling, namely, courage, care, craft and contention. He deemed courage to speak the truth, to be the most important aspect of all. He asked the students whether they wish to be mere shopkeepers of justice or undertake the battle for justice as legal missionaries and true soldiers of the constitution. Such competitions he said offer students an opportunity to understand the difference between the two.
Chief Guest Hon’ble Mr. Justice H. L. Gokhale expressed the importance of lawyers to empathize with the litigants and to identify with their agony. He appreciated the college for hosting the client consultation competition, which in his opinion needs more appreciation in law schools across the country.
Valedictory & prize distribution on 5th February, 2017 from 3:30pm at Moot Court Hall, SLS, Pune, shall have Hon’ble Thiru. Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao, Judge, Madras High Court and Hon’ble Justice Deepak Sibal, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court as the Guests of Honour.
The Winning team will represent India in the International Rounds to be hosted by University of Kent, Canterbury, England from April 19 – 22, 2017. The Competition is affiliated with the International Bar Association and collaborates closely with law societies and bar associations throughout the world.
Dr. Bindu Ronald proposed the vote of thanks.
