Imbibing A Culture Of Counselling Clients At NCU

Mr. HimangshuRathhee

Assistant Professor, School of Law

The NorthCap University

School of Law, The NorthCap University always encourages the students to develop interviewing, planning and analytical skills in the lawyer-client relationship which is an integral part of the legal profession. The lawyers are assumed to have the listening and questioning skills needed to conduct an effective interview. Regrettably, these aspects have often been overlooked in the curriculum of legal education. The client consultation competition is a means of focusing student’s attention on these skills early in their careers. The main objective is to understand and imbibe in our principles that the “aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts but values”. In realizing the same, the school of law has been organizing Client Consultation Competitions successfully to develop the values and also give the students, experience in the art of understanding and counselling their clients effectively.

The Competition is aimed at promoting greater knowledge and practical skills among student advocates in the preventive law and counselling functions of law practice. It will encourage students in developing interviewing, planning, and analytical skills in the lawyer-client relationship in the law office. Interviewing and advising are a significant part of most lawyers’ work.The Competition provides an opportunity for a valuable educational interchange between students, law faculty and legal practitioners. 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 students conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client. School of Law, The NorthCap University, Gurugram hitherto has organized five successful editions of the Competition. 

The 5^th Edition of National Client Consultation Competition, 2019 was the latest in the series of the annual event. Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.P Singh, former Judge Supreme Court of India was our Chief Guest of the programme. 31 teams from all over the Country came down to participate in the event. University School of Law and Legal Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University came out as winners.Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow came in the second position. The final round judges were Professor P.S Lathwal, Justice J.C Gupta and Justice S.K. Katriar.