The Moot Dilemma

What is that one thing which is fully capable to bring nightmares into any law student’s dream filled sound- sleep? What can instill a weird, unexplained fear? Behold people. It’s not any set of Exams. Nor any kind of interview. It is a MOOT.

A law student’s ticket to what I call “academic” prosperity and a license for the judges to get rude and shout at him. SURE. It is said that if one wants to get insulted and humiliated, one should moot. And why not? The judges in the court room shout at you scream at you making you feel like anything but the most worthless person ever. They make you feel as if you know zilch about your subject. Like how badly aware you are! What’s more? Despite everything, we DO moot every time. Like we did this time too.

Preparing for a moot is always filled with the worsts. The memorial submissions is the first leg of the battle where the endless sleepless nights, the copious amounts of coffee that kept you awake, that one judgment that could change the course of your argument, all goes waste when you come to know that that one argument that you were relying on didn’t make sense anymore. That too on the last day of the submission! You’re panting with fear thinking of a miracle to happen out of nowhere. And then that divine light shines on you. God extends His hand to reach out to your totally messed-up-inside head. The extension of the deadline comes as the ray of hope that you’d so desperately wished for. Despite all your efforts you do manage to submit a very substandard memorial. All goes well. At least, till now!

Next comes the “bleeding” alert moment. Why I call it the “bleeding” alert? ‘Coz in “Red-alert” things are still under control, but here it’s gone. You can’t do anything about it. You just bleed the most unlikely concoction of fear, anticipation, hope and optimism. In just one meeting you’re told that plagiarism won’t be allowed and those who did indulge in it won’t be allowed to go any further.

You strain every vein of your brain to try and remember whether you did or did not copy a part thereof from your “generous” friends. You do recall discussing it down to every other point put across in your memorial. But, after a careful analysis and a quick re- run of the same you conclude that you didn’t! Yippeeee. Turns out like you really didn’t.

Next you come to know that that substandard memorial that you gave didn’t fetch you any “decent” marks. You give in, ‘coz you were expecting it somewhere deep down inside. Next comes the final battle- the ORAL rounds!

You are all “suited” up but still going white in the face where the sweat drops are shining silver, trickling down your temples. What are the judges like? Are they asking too many questions? How much time are they taking per student? The traffic of your thoughts is just building up on the road of your mind….. You stop each and every person who gets done with their rounds and just shoot your questions at him/her. Once that traffic clears up and you’re satisfied about what to go for, you wait helplessly in a corner for your turn to come. You just want to get over with it.

And when your turn comes you half- confidently, half scared enter the room. You exchange that first glance with the judges. Not too friendly, wasn’t it? Never mind. You bow and go ahead with your set of issues and arguments. Too tired to think about anything, you let them attack you with the worst possible questions for which you try to blurt out the best possible answers.

Finally its over. Was it good, or was it bad? Will you make it through? You don’t seem to care. All you want is your bed and the Goddess of sleep to grace your eyes like what she had been doing when you totally try to avoid it by the few sinful discoveries of this materialistic world.

Next, Result time! Will you make it? Have you made it? Turns out like you did! Whooppiee! So you’re there in the pool now. Amongst the few people who can actually go out and represent the University in the various mooting events that take place. Wow! That calls for another series of Memorial Submissions, Endless research, Courtroom “humiliations” and what not! But we do go for it. Hell Yea! But why?

Coz we are told to do so. Coz we’ve been instilled with the “mis”-conception that mooting is the most essential thing for a law student. Everyone should try it! And that we don’t get to do it anywhere except for a Law school in the entire world.

Really? Since when have we started entertaining someone else’s piece of mind? Or have we never really cared to follow our own heart. Have we ever just sat back and thought what is it exactly that we want from ourselves? What is it that makes us happy?
'Coz by the time we do start thinking on those lines, turns out it is already too late... 






-Arushi Singh