Islamabad, October 3, 2015 – Twenty-four top law students from across Pakistan competed in Pakistan Law Moot’s first-ever moot court event, organized in partnership with the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN), with support from U.S. Embassy Islamabad and the U.S. Education Foundation Pakistan (USEFP). The two-day event offered teams from eight universities an opportunity to refine their legal and presentation skills in a simulated court room environment. The final round was judged by senior U.S. and Pakistani legal experts.
“Activities like the Pakistan Law Moot competition offer students an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen their legal analytical, writing, and presentation skills. The U.S. Embassy is proud to support the competition, which will help prepare the next generation of lawyers in Pakistan to better serve the Pakistani people,” U.S. Embassy Islamabad Deputy Public Affairs Officer Christina Tomlinson said at the event’s closing ceremony. Tomlinson also encouraged students to explore avenues to build on their legal skills, including through opportunities to study in the United States.
Elaborating on the importance of moot court competitions in Pakistan, USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar explained, “The two-day event requires law students to analyze and argue both sides of a hypothetical legal argument using procedures modeled after those employed in state and federal appellate courts. The moot is a great opportunity for law students to discover their potential for legal practice, and USEFP is pleased to be able to support it.”
Daniyal Hassan, Director of the PUAN Islamabad chapter’s youth group, said he dreamt of organizing a national moot court competition after participating in similar competitions throughout law school. “PUAN helped me live my dream… to encourage mooting in Pakistan so that law students in our country are equipped with the most important practical legal skills.”
The competition’s law students hailed from: Azad Jammu & Kashmir University; Indus College of Law, Hyderabad; International Islamic University Islamabad – Female Campus; Pakistan College of Law, Lahore; Federal Urdu University, Karachi; Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan; Islamabad School of Law; and Lahore University of Management Sciences.
Pakistan has one of the largest U.S.-alumni communities in the world, with more than 15,000 students and professionals who have participated in U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs. PUAN organizes events across Pakistan through 12 regional chapters, including community service projects, leadership training, roundtable discussions, and community engagement activities. Find out more about PUAN athttp://www.facebook.com/pakalumni.
