Trial-by-Fire- (speed moot)

Trial-by-Fire- (speed moot)

Brief about the Activity

Speed-Moot is a fast-paced moot court competition designed to test participants’ ability to think on their feet, articulate legal arguments concisely, and respond effectively to counterarguments. Unlike traditional moots, participants have limited preparation time and must argue before a panel of judges in quick succession.

Rules and Regulations

  1. Teams must consist of 2 members (one speaker and one researcher).
  2. Format
    • Each round will consist of a 10-minute oral argument (5 minutes per participant).
    • Participants will be assigned a legal problem 30 minutes before their turn.
    • No external research or electronic devices allowed after the problem is distributed.
    • Each team must argue both for and against the given issue in separate rounds.
  3. Rounds
    • Preliminary Rounds: Knockout format.
    • Semi-finals & Finals: Top teams qualify based on scores.
  4. Speaking Time: Each speaker gets 5 minutes, followed by 2 minutes for rebuttals.
  5. Scoring: Teams will be judged on legal reasoning, clarity, structure, and response to questions.
  6. Disqualification: Any team found violating rules or engaging in misconduct will be disqualified.

Rubrics for Judging

Criteria

Weightage (%)

Description

Legal Knowledge

30%

Depth of understanding of legal principles, statutes, and precedents.

Presentation & Clarity

20%

Ability to argue persuasively, maintain clarity, and be concise.

Structure & Organization

15%

Logical flow of arguments, issue framing, and case analysis.

Responsiveness

15%

Ability to answer judges’ questions convincingly.

Rebuttal & Counterarguments

10%

Effectiveness in refuting opposing arguments.

Courtroom Demeanor

10%

Professionalism, etiquette, and confidence.

Total Score: 100 Points


Judges will provide individual scores for each speaker, and the team’s final score will be an average of both speakers’ scores.

Faculty Coordinators

Mr. Aditya and Dr. Ghazala Abidin