The winning team of a group of young people of Vertex Chambers Annual Mooting Competition 2012. Photo: Vertex Chambers

A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which members take part in replicated court proceedings frequently to comprise draft memorials and partake in oral arguments. Moot court does not engage tangible demonstration by eyewitnesses or the production of evidence but its spotlight is exclusively on the submission of the law to a general set of methods to which the competitors are introduced as opposed to a mock trial. In Commonwealth countries like Bangladesh the phrase is abridged to merely 'a moot' and the activity may be called 'mooting'. The word or expression 'moot' originates from Anglo Saxon times when a moot 'gmot' or 'emot' occurred.
In the context of Bangladesh moot courts have turned out to be a crucial element of legal programmes of study with its chief purpose of offering students with the considerable educational gains that are a consequence from preparation in oratory, organised communication and to develop a proficient way to become professional at an early point in life. The training and deliverance of arguments gives undergraduate students the prospect to reflect significantly, develop to follow a line of investigation skills, improve abilities of speech and most importantly unravel case problems productively. This gives confidence to students to take part in moots in order to have a flavour of performing practical methods of court procedure and mannerism and develop certain arts of persuasion and a lucid elocution of values of law.
While domestic moot court competitions tend to focus on municipal law, regional and international moot court competitions are inclined to center on topics such as public law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Students in general spend a semester in their senior year or at any point of time when there is a moot court competition. The basic task includes exploring and studying to attribute to research and writing memorials as well as practicing oral arguments.
Many universities of Bangladesh including the University of Dhaka, University of Chittagong, Rajshahi University, Kushtia Islamic University, BRAC University, South East University, Northern University and Eastern University have taken part in the Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competitions. This is in association with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). International Humanitarian Law is a noteworthy theme within educational institutes to compete in such competitions. This competition is named in reminiscence of Henry Dunant, the co-founder of the ICRC in 1863 who was a well-known and important figure of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The winning team participates in the regional competition which is a stage set after the national competitions. Thus the winning team gets the prospect to meet the students of the diverse law schools all over the region competing against each other who are trying to win their cases in front of an eminent panel of Judges and prominent lawyers. Thus the Henry Dunant Moot Court Competition is not only encouraging the attention of International Humanitarian Law, but also persuades the law students of Bangladesh to organise with the greatest aptitude of contrasting themselves with any other law school.
Hence it may be discernible that each school's process for selecting Moot Court members differs, but in some schools competition is quite fierce to join, especially in those law schools that send winning teams to national competitions. Moot court members delve into research. Judges are open to ask questions at any time during the production of the arguments and students must act in response consequently. For that reason an insightful perception of the case facts, arguments, and the opponents' arguments are required. As a result such competitions are tremendously competitive thus bringing high repute to those who surpass in this activity.
The prospects of being a part of mooting and being involved in a moot court are many for the future. Legal employers, mainly law firms are keen on students who have participated in Moot Court. This is because such students have spent a certain amount of time creating the ideal legal, methodical, research and writing skills that practicing lawyers must have. Hence the employer knows a student has been learning to form and converse legal arguments for a year or more and more time may be ultimately provided to actually practice law.
If one feels that their public speaking proficiency needs work the Moot Court is a great place to hone and sharpen them. On a more individual level involving oneself in Moot Court can also offer a distinctive acquaintance of bonding and knowledge with fellow students and the members of this society during law school.

(The author is a student of the School of Law, BRAC University.)