How to prepare for Moot Court Competition

1. Read the moot proposition everyday

a. Have a print out of moot proposition with you.
b. The more you read it, the more you are going to find arguments in
your favor.
2. Facts in your own words
a. The Judges have to mark you for this!
b. Mistake: Participants read from the memorial (gives an impression
that you aren’t aware of the facts)
c. Cheat Code: Even the Judges don’t remember the entire proposition
so you have to just pick up the most important points and recite the
facts in a story format in easy words. Here try to build the interest of
the Judges.
d. Easy words + Explain as if are explaining a person who isn’t aware of
anything.
e. Assume that they don’t know anything.
3. Remember the facts
a. You should not give an impression that you have mugged up
everything. Remember you are a speaker not a reader.
b. You should make your notes which are extremely short yet such that
you are able to pick points from your notes, explain a bit and then
pick another one (a flow chart king of thing will work)
4. Practice, practice and practice
a. What to practice?
i. Speaking before the mirror- Issue and submission
Aim: Stop reading and start submitting or arguing
b. How would it happen?
i. When you speak- You will find that you do not have words for
explaining certain things, you will find those words and
eventually, you will see that you will gain confidence.
5. Ask your professors, teammates, batchmates, classmates, any lawyer friend
to ask questions
a. Different minds different perspectives
 b. More practice more confidence
c. Every time someone would ask something that never imagined can
be asked: Prepare that point
6. Conduct Research
a. Though there is a researcher in the team who is dedicated towards
extensive research but you should make sure that you equally
participate in the research by doing so your knowledge base related
to the moot proposition is going to increase.
7. Have a proper file with all the things that you need as a speaker (your docs)
+ Read, mark and make notes of everything
a. Moot proposition – 1st doc – important
b. Memorials (well marked, put flags) – Petition
c. Notes ready
d. Bare Acts or rules
e. Judgements that you are going to refer to
8. Understand the background from where the Judges are coming
a. Who are the Judges:-
i. Advocates
ii. Lawyers in law firms
iii. Professors
iv. Actual Judges
b. Difference in questions
i. Theoretical
ii. More practical questions/Connect between the fact, law and
the Judgements
 Remember they are there to grill you; they want
you to loose patience and give up
 Prepare your arguments that way
 Try to answer with that mindset
9. To be patient, no anger, no irritation!
a. Do not give up!
b. Understand that the Judges are testing your patience in a way
c. You need to be bold enough to give answers
d. The facts + The law = Your backbone
10.Be formal when it comes to your looks!
 a. Mistake: Extreme
i. Getting dressed up as if you are going to a wedding
ii. Shoes not polished, no comb used and what not
iii. Serious or not serious participant
11.Work on your tone
a. Confident
b. Polite
c. Not too loud, not too low
d. Pauses
e. Bringing attention to important points
f. Don’t be too fast or slow: create a balance
12.Go with the flow
a. Aim or Mindset of the participant: To complete all the issues and the
submissions
b. What are Judges looking for?
i. How well you are explaining things
ii. How you are answering to the questions asked by them
iii. Try to have good knowledge of the issues are to be dealt by
the second speaker
13.Know for what you are being judged
a. Knowledge of Facts and law
b. Application of law to facts
c. Ingenuity and ability to answer questions
d. Presentation skills
e. Time management and organization
f. Court Etiquettes
g. Logical coherency (interconnection) in Arguments