The Louis M.Brown and Forrest S.Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, 2022

The Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, 2022
(India National Rounds)
5th – 6th March, 2022

About the Brown Mosten International Client Consultation Competition

The Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition is an annual competition for the winners of national rounds of the competitions across the world. The 2022 International competition will be held in Online Mode between 19th-24th April 2022 and hosted by the Hillary Clinton School of Law at Swansea University, Wales. This competition provides an exciting opportunity for law students to learn and practice interviewing and counselling skills as well as to meet participants from an amazing range of nations and cultures. Over the last ten years, law students from more than 30 countries have taken part in this competition like: Australia, China, Croatia, England and Wales, Germany, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Russia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, and the United States etc.

A Client Counselling Competition for law students was first established in 1969 by Louis M Brown. It was adopted by the American Bar Association in 1972 and the International Competition was inaugurated in 1985. The International Competition was named after Louis M Brown in 1993 and In May 2010, the competition’s name was subtly changed from “client counseling” to “client consultation”. The Competition is affiliated with the International Bar Association and collaborates closely with law societies and bar associations throughout the world.

About Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur

Hidayatullah National Law University was established under the Hidayatullah National University of Law, Chhattisgarh, Act, (No. 10 of 2003). It is recognized by the University Grants Commission u/s 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956 and also by the Bar Council of India u/s 7 (1) of the Advocates Act, 1961. HNLU is the first National Level Institute established in the new State of Chhattisgarh in the year 2003 and the sixth Law University in the country. HNLU has been ranked 5th in India Today Ranking 2021 and 51-100 on crisis management during COVID by the World’s Universities with Real Impact (WURI) Ranking 2021 and 201-300 among the innovative and emerging Universities by WURI and is set to scale new benchmarks in the years to come.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Arup Kumar Goswami, Chief Justice, High Court of Chhattisgarh is the Chancellor of the University. Prof. (Dr.) V. C. Vivekanandan, former MHRD Chair Professor of IP Law at NALSAR University and also former Dean of the Rajiv Gandhi School of Law, IIT Kharagpur and School of Law, Bennett University is the Vice-Chancellor of the University. Prof. (Dr.) Uday Shankar is the Registrar of the University.

Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur (HNLU) is hosting National Rounds of Louis M Brown and Forrest S Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, 2022 in Online Mode scheduled from 5th-6th March, 2022. The winning team of the national rounds would represent India in the Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, 2022.

About National Rounds of the Competition

In National rounds, around 30-35 teams from leading law schools participate. There are two stages in the competition, viz. client interviewing and counselling; and post-interview and counselling stage, without client. The competition is judged on the basis of specific criteria like:

• Establishing the working atmosphere and professional approach
• Suggesting alternatives and allowing the client to make an informed choice etc.

The Competition simulates a law office consultation in which two law students, acting as lawyers (attorneys/solicitors/legal practitioners), are presented with a client matter. The participants conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client.  Participants are expected to elicit the relevant information from the client, such as:

• Explore with the client his or her preferred outcome
• Outline the nature of the problem
• Present the client with a means (or range of alternatives, if appropriate) for resolving the problem.

The interview with the client is then followed by a post-consultation period during which the participants, in the absence of the client, analyze the interview and discuss the legal and other work to be undertaken. The interview and post-consultation period last a total of 35 minutes. The participants are evaluated by a panel of judges. The participants are evaluated against specific criteria that emphasize the use of listening, questioning, planning, and analytical skills in a lawyer/client interview. Once the judges have completed their evaluation of the interview, the participants are called back in and the judges provide a brief critique of the team’s handling of the consultation and post-consultation periods.

Rules and Regulations for the Event

1. Eligibility

• • Only Law Colleges/Universities recognized by the Bar Council of India are eligible to participate.
  • Only bonafide students pursuing LL.B. Three Year/Five Year Degree programmes in aforementioned institutions [refer 1.1], during the current academic year are eligible to participate.
  • Members of any winning team of the Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition are not allowed to re-enter the competition.

2. Composition of Teams

• • Each team shall consist of TWO participants.
  • Only ONE team is allowed per institution.

Registration

• • Participation is open for the teams that have successfully completed the application (by duly filling the registration form and making the payment) before the deadline on a first come first served basis.
  • Each Team shall make payment of Rs. 3000/- as Registration Fee for the competition on the following bank details:
    • Account Holder’s Name: Registrar, Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
    • Bank Name: IDBI Bank
    • Account No.: 1188102000000806
    • IFSC Code: IBKL0001188
    • MICR Code: 492259503
    • Branch Name – HNLU Campus Branch, Uparwara, Naya Raipur
    • Account Type – Current A/C
  • Teams are required to duly fill the registration form and upload the proof of payment along with the registration form through following link/QR code:

https://forms.gle/nWrNSWRNiUbDC1At6

• • The participating institution shall also send an email with Institution’s registration form at iccc2022@hnlu.ac.in through its MCC/ADR Committee or HOD/Dean/Registrar’s office via official email id confirming that the registered participants are bonafide students of the institution and are selected/nominated to represent the institution in the national rounds of the Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, 2022.
  • After filling the registration form the team will receive an acknowledgement email after the verification of the details of registration form/attachments including the proof of the registration fee payment by the host institution.
  • After the last date of registration process, the team will be assigned a Team Code.

Important Dates